The Little Nutcracker
by cdbazemore98
Summary: Russell makes a gift for his crush; the new girl Carla. But he's too shy around her, and Rudy's teasing doesn't help. But when the kid gets a blow to the head, he find himself on a Christmas adventure to save a princess from a villainous rat king. And to do so he must become... The Nutcracker
1. Chapter 1: What's in the Box?

**Ho, ho, ho! Happy first day of December. And here I am with another Fat Albert story. This time, Nutcracker style. Once upon a time I uploaded this last year but wasn't able to finish it in time for Christmas, so I deleted it since I didn't want to leave this story hanging. But it's back, and better than ever.**

**As the synopsis states, Russell wants to give a girl a homemade gift, but he's too shy and thinks she may not like it. However, after a bump to the head sends him to Christmas land, he finds he must save Carla from the evil rat king. And to do that... he has to become... The Nutcracker. So I hope you enjoy this little tale. Usually, I'd put who's playing what part in these types of stories, but, I want you guys to guess who's gonna be who, aside from Russell being, well, the Nutcracker. So let's get on with it!**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Fat Albert or The Nutcracker Ballet.**

Chapter 1: What's in the Box?

Twas a few days before Christmas, and all through North Philly; snow filled the air, making everything cold and chilly (See what I did there). Everyone was in the holiday mood. Especially a certain red wearing big guy.

No, not Santa.

But Fat Albert, along with his friends.

So, why don't we check up on them?

Or well, one of them?

Walking down the sidewalk, little Russell Cosby clings tightly to a wrapped box as he trudged through the snow with his older brother Bill. For once, the hat and coat he always wore was appropriate for the weather.

"I really, really, REALLY hope Carla likes my present for her..." Russell said to Bill.

"I'm sure she will. Why wouldn't she...?" Bill replied.

"Because it's not very good..."

"Hey, you did your best..."

Who is Carla you may ask? Well, she recently moved into North Philly a few months ago. Although she was older than him, Russell immediately became smitten with her, especially after she offered to play with him at recess when nobody else would.

Of course, this newfound crush did not come without some teasing for Russell, courtesy of Rudy Davis, who was always telling the child that he had no chance with Carla and that she deserved better than 'a little shrimp' like him.

Russell, as always, shrugged off the insults, but inside, they hurt really badly, especially after seeing how sweet and kind Carla really is. It stung to think of the possibility that he had no chance with her, especially considering that she was fourteen (Bill and Rudy's age), while he was only nine.

He quickly reminded himself not to let Rudy's comments get to him. He never did before, so why should he now?

Soon enough, the brothers made it to the snow-covered junkyard, where the other guys were engaged in a snowball fight.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Albert called, making a snowball, "Here's a ball comin' your way!" He then threw it at top speed, as it hit Weird Harold in the back. The tall boy threw a snowball in retaliation, which caused Albert to dodge, letting the ball hit Dumb Donald instead.

"H-Hey! That's cold!" He shivered.

Rudy rolled his eyes, "Of course it's cold. Snow is frozen rain, dummy."

"I didn't know rain could freeze..."

"There's a lot of things you don't know..."

With that, the rich boy made his own snowball, "Now, prepare yourselves for my 'Rudy Wind Up'." As he said, Rudy began to whine up his arm, before throwing the snowball. It was coming straight towards Bill and Russell, causing the latter to shield himself and the box away from the upcoming ball, "Watch it!" He glared, "You almost messed up my present!"

At the mention of 'present', the other boys stopped their game and looked towards the brothers.

"Hey, hey, hey..." Albert greeted with a smile, "Good to see you two."

"What's in the box, Shrimpy?" Rudy asked in a slightly mocking tone.

Russell glared at him, "None of your business." He replied back, "You almost wrecked it. I need a place to put it until school tomorrow. Bill, do you think it'll be safe in the clubhouse?"

"Don't see why not?" Bill shrugged.

"But what's in the box though?" Rudy asked again.

"None of your business!" Russell snapped, "Why don't you stick your nose in someone else's business?!"

"I'm just curious..."

Bucky soon spoke up, "Now that he mentions it, I'm a little curious too."

"Me too..." Harold added, "A little peek wouldn't hurt."

"Yeahb. Canb youb showb usb?" Mush asked.

Russell groaned. Now everyone wanted to know what was in the box. He looked over to his brother for help, but it seemed that even he didn't know what to do. Thankfully, Albert stepped in, "Cool it, dudes. If Russell doesn't want us to know what's in the box, then we should respect his privacy."

The little boy was about to sigh with relief, until Rudy stepped forward with a smirk, "Well, maybe he shouldn't be so secretive. And friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other..."

Suddenly, he attempted to snatch the box away from Russell, who had a tight grip on the ribbons, "No! Rudy, let go!" He shouted.

But the rich boy just laughed, as a tug of war occurred between the two boys. Albert, as usual, attempted to break up the fighting, while the others watched with amusement, sans Bill, who watched out of concern for his brother.

Despite all of Russell's effort, Rudy was able to pry the box away from him, causing him to fall into the snow, and removed the lid, and reaching inside. He then pulled out what looked like a snow globe... a badly made snow globe. Tiny clips of paper, with a ballerina figurine, was inside a circular glass, held together with paint-covered cement.

As for Russell, he moaned and placed his face in his hands.

Rudy began to chuckle, "Now what in the world is this suppose to be?" He asked, turning to Russell.

"A snow globe. I made it myself." Russell muttered, "It's for a friend."

"A friend, you say? And who might this friend be?"

Russell once again gave him a dirty look, "None of your business. It's just for a friend." He stood up and tried to grab the globe, but Rudy held it out of his reach, "Give it here, Rudy! I need to give it to her-"

He quickly covered his mouth, but it was too late. Everyone heard what he said. Rudy smirked wider, "'Her'? Hmmm... could this 'her'... possibly be..."

Don't say it. Don't say it. DON'T SAY IT!

"... Carla?"

Once again, Russell groaned in defeat, before nodding. This caused Rudy to burst out into uncontrollable laughter. As for the other boys, they couldn't help but smile at the globe, "I think it's a pretty globe." Harold commented.

"It's nice-looking," Donald added.

"Carla will love it." Albert smiled.

Russell looked at them sadly, "You don't have to be nice about it, guys. It doesn't look that good."

He heard Rudy snort, "You got that right, small fry. This has to be the ugliest snow globe I've ever seen. It's so ugly, that Carla will be gagging at the sight of it."

"Hey, leave Rus alone. He did his best." Bill defended his brother.

"If he really did his best, then it clearly wasn't much."

Russell started to blush, before reaching for the globe again, "Give! It! Back!"

Before long, he was able to grab the globe away from Rudy, before putting it back in the box, "I swear. It's like you're out to get me!" He snapped at the rich boy, "You're like school on Christmas. No class!"

Now it was Rudy's turn to glare, "Just face the facts, you runt. You don't and never will have a chance to impress Carla. She's way beyond your league. And I think she'll benefit from someone more suave and debonair." He then gave Russell a smirk that almost made the boy shiver, and not just from the cold.

"... Someone like me."

Russell felt his heart drop. The thought of Carla being with Rudy of all people was too much to handle. Grasping the box tightly, he ran to the clubhouse as fast as he could. Bill, even more concerned, ran after his brother.

Albert looked on sadly, before turning to Rudy, "Hey, that wasn't cool, man. Just because Russell likes Carla, it doesn't mean you have to tease him about it."

"Well, you can't deny that what I said was true. What chance does that shrimp think he has with her, anyway? First of all, she's way older than him. And second of all, that so-called 'gift' for her is an abomination."

"That might be. But Russell clearly worked hard on it. And besides, it's the inside that counts."

"Whatever..."

Meanwhile, at the clubhouse, Russell sat on the couch, tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked at the box, "Maybe I shouldn't give it to her... she'll hate it..." He sniffed.

Bill sat beside him, rubbing his shoulders, "Hey, don't listen to what Rudy says. You worked on that globe all week. Carla will really like it."

"It's not just Rudy... it's... well... I'm too afraid to talk to her... I'm... too shy... what if I can't do it?"

"Sure you can, Rus. I understand if you're shy, but don't let that prevent you from doing what you wanna do... okay..."

The little boy wiped his eyes, "I guess you're right."

"Remember, just because you think you can't do something, it doesn't mean you can't do it at all..."

"... I'll keep that in mind."

"Now... let's wait for the others. It's almost time for the Brown Hornet."

Russell smiled. That would be something to take his mind off of all of this. Since come tomorrow... he had a chance to speak to Carla... and hopefully won't be too afraid to give her his gift.

**Well, we see what Russell has in mind to give to Carla, but he's shy about it, and Rudy sure isn't helping that situation. Next chapter, we'll see the boys at school, and meet Carla for the first time. It'll also be the lead into the adventure part of the story. So until then, I'll see you guys later, and don't forget to review, please. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2: Prepping For The Play

**Hey again! Time for another chapter of TLN (Initials for... oh you get the picture). This is where we focus on the kids at school, meet Carla for the first time, see her interact with Russell, and get the start of that adventure I mentioned before. So lots of fun stuff is happening. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing BUT my OC's.**

Chapter 2: Prepping for the Play

The next day, the boys had made it to school. Today, they were going to help out backstage for the Christmas pageant that the school was putting on Christmas Eve night.

Their teacher, Miss Wucher, had set up the pageant, "I'm glad you're here, boys." She said as they shuffled into the auditorium, "I need some props put up on stage. Can a few of you do that?"

Albert smiled, "Hey, hey, hey. I can handle that."

"Let me help." Harold offered.

"Meb toob." Mushmouth added.

As the boys scrambled to do some work, Russell went backstage to find a place to hide his gift. It was currently in his backpack, and he just needed to find a secure place to store it. He looked around, before noticing some empty cardboard boxes in the corner. Making sure nobody spotted him, he quickly made his way to the boxes, taking the smallest one and placing his backpack inside...

"Hiding your gift again, shrimp?"

Russell groaned, before turning to face a smirking Rudy, "Don't you have some candy canes to set up?" He asked.

The rich boy chuckled, "Candy canes? I think you forget that I'm an assistant producer in the theater, small fry."

It was true. Just this spring, Rudy had become the new assistant producer, while Miss Wucher was the executive. This meant that Rudy was at every meeting, made decisions, and sometimes help write the script of a new play. How he even got the position in the first place will always be a mystery to Russell.

"I don't care if you're the president. Why don't you bug off and leave me alone?" The child asked, "I want my gift to be safe for when I give it to Carla..." He then muttered under his breath, "That is if I can do it without stuttering..."

Unfortunately, Rudy heard that last part, "Face it. You can't even look at Carla without choking up at her beauty. You think you have the guts to talk to her, but you don't. And you never will. So give up."

Again, Russell tried not to be bothered by Rudy's insults, but they still hurt. He turned away to wipe away any tears that threatened to fall, but that also did little to no go good for him, as Rudy again noticed, "Aw, is the shrimp gonna cry? Oh, how sad..." He laughed.

"Oh, leave him alone, Rudy. He's just a little kid."

Now that was a voice both boys recognized. Standing behind Rudy... was Carla. Russell smiled a little to see his crush coming to his rescue. Rudy then turned to give her a bow, "Hello there, my dear. Do you need any assistance?"

Russell grimaced. One of the worst things about Rudy's teasing was that whenever Carla was around, he would flirt with her on purpose just to spite Russell. How did he know he was doing it on purpose? Because Rudy always gave him a wicked grin right before doing so.

He wanted to make sure Russell was watching as he did the flirting.

Carla shook her head at the dapper boy, "There's one thing. Move aside so that I can talk to Russell."

"Oh, but why would you wanna talk to that shrimp?" Rudy asked.

"Because, unlike you, he looks like he could use some help. And, he has some class."

Russell couldn't help but laugh as Rudy growled in annoyance. Nevertheless, the rich boy moved out of the way and left, but not before giving Russell a death glare that didn't phase the younger boy in the least.

As soon as Rudy was out of sight, Russell sighed in relief, "T-Thanks for that..." He said softly.

Carla smiled, "Hey, it's the least I can do for the boy who's been so nice to me since I moved here."

Honestly, the problem wasn't that Russell had trouble talking to her, it was that he couldn't tell her what he wanted to tell her without stuttering or drawing a mind blank, which brought him back to his gift.

"So..." Carla said, bringing the boy out of his thoughts, "Do you need help moving that box?"

Uh oh. Was he caught?

"Um, no. I wanted to put my backpack in it so that'll be safe." He quickly said, "I wouldn't want anybody taking it."

The girl flipped back her dark brown hair and giggled, "Okay. That's good. The last thing we need is Rude Rudy snooping around your personal belonging. But I'll help you place it in a more safe place."

'Rude' Rudy had become the nickname Carla came up with for the rich boy when they first met, especially after he flirted with her and insulted somebody within one minute. It was safe to say that her initial opinion of Rudy was low, and that was good enough for Russell.

And so, she grabbed the box, and placed it in a secret compartment in the wall, which confused Russell, until she explained, "I found this last month. There was a lot of secrets about this school I don't think anybody else knows. But... let's keep this between us."

Russell nodded as Carla placed the box in the space, before closing and covering it with more boxes, "Now then, how about you help me with something. I'm still getting used to working the curtains and everything. Think you can show me how it works."

"Um, sure..." The boy said as he led her to the ropes, "It's really not that hard. Just remember which switches to pull up... this one..." he pointed to the switch on the far left, "Lifts it, and this one..." He then pointed to the lever on the far right, "... lowers it. Easy, isn't it?"

Carla nodded, "Yeah. I'll be sure to remember that."

With that, she decided to work with the switches a little bit. Russell watched her carefully, just to make sure she wouldn't hurt herself. He wasn't sure why she asked him to help rather than Miss Wucher or her father, who was helping direct the pageant, but since he knew about the ropes and curtains, he supposed he had to give her some advice.

He continued to think about his gift, and when would it be the perfect time to give it to her. The pageant wouldn't be until Christmas Eve... maybe that would be the perfect chance. After all, tis the season.

As he continued to watch Carla, the boy couldn't help but look up to see the sandbags hanging... but as he looked closer... it looked like one of the ropes was about to snap and fall... right on top of Carla!

"Carla! Watch out!" He called.

"Huh?" The girl looked confused until he pushed her out of the way. By that time, the sandbag has fallen, delivering a hard blow to Russell's head as it did. The small boy groaned before falling over.

When Carla recovered from the push, she gasped at what she saw, "Russell!" She knelt beside him, rubbing his head, "Russell! Can you hear me?" Still no answer, "Oh my goodness... Miss Wucher! Dad! Bill! Russell's hurt!"

Everyone soon heard her calls and rushed over. Bill gasped in shock to see his brother knocked out, "What happened?" He asked.

"A sandbag fell and hit him on the head. He pushed me out of the way... he saved my life..." Was Carla's answer.

Russell continued to groan in pain, "Someone get the nurse." Miss Wucher instructed. Albert and Harold did just that without hesitation, while the rest just looked at the poor boy. Even Rudy was worried about him.

Would he wake up...?

Or would he have the adventure of a lifetime...?

**Ouch. Poor Russell. Gets hurt saving the girl, and it wasn't even Rudy's fault this time. I guess I don't have to explain what happens next as you guys can already probably guess that Russell's dream adventure starts. We'll see who's playing what part as in The Nutcracker, but I'll let you guys continue to guess. Until then, I'll see you guys later, and don't forget to review, please. Thank you.**


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to Winter Wonderland

**Deck the halls with a brand new chapter, fa la la la la, la la la la. Hey guys, time for the start of Russell's little adventure. Or should I say his big adventure, with what's gonna go on in this chapter. Have fun and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 3: Welcome to Winter Wonderland

Russell groaned as he rubbed his head. He had a splitting headache right now and didn't really want to move from where he was lying, but he felt cold and soon opened his eyes, expecting to be in the nurse's office... but instead found himself looking at the cloudy sky... snowflakes falling on his face.

What?

The boy soon sat up and looked at his surroundings. Around him were snow and trees everywhere. Was he in some sort of forest? Russell shook his head in shock. Where on Earth was he?

"Are you okay?"

Who was that?

Russell looked around until he saw someone coming towards him. He wanted to stand and defend himself, but his headache prevented him from doing so... and when he saw the person more clearly... she looked rather familiar to him...

It was a girl wearing an ice blue dress, and what looked like a tiara made out of ice. She smiled at him and bent down to his level, and Russell didn't feel so threatened right now, "Oh... I'm okay. I just got a headache..."

The girl smiled, "I can fix that..." She then grabbed an icicle off of a tree and gave it to the boy, "Eat a piece of this, it'll make the pain go away."

Russell was confused on how this would work, but anything to get rid of his misery. So he took a bite out of the icicle and began to crunch on it. As soon as it melted down his throat... his head didn't feel like it was pounding anymore, "Hey... it worked. I feel much better. Thanks."

"No problem. I'm Princess Carla. Daughter of the King of the Winter Kingdom." The girl introduced her, "And you are...?"

"Oh, uh Russell. Russell Cosby."

"And where do you hail from, Russell?"

"North Philly. That's where I'm from. But honestly... I have no idea how I got from there to here. I remember getting hit in the head... and the next thing I know, I'm lying in the snow... what is this place?

Carla smiled, "The Winter Kingdom. It's where we pretty much celebrate holidays like Christmas all year round. There are places such as the Toy Village, Ice Valley, and right now, you're in the Freezing Forest..."

Russell shivered, "It sure feels like it's freezing."

"Well, the longer you're here, the more it won't feel so cold. We get used to the weather around here..."

"I see..."

With that, Russell stood up, with Carla helping him of course, "How about I show you around?" She asked. Russell nodded, "Sure... and maybe you can help me get back to North Philly...?"

"If I knew where it was. We can stop by the palace and maybe my Dad can help you. He knows his way around the area, and I'm sure he'll help you find your way home."

The two began to walk through the forest. As they did, Russell couldn't help but notice that Carla seemed very familiar... and not just because of the name. Was this a dream? If so, perhaps it would be a while before he woke up...

"So... what's it like here?" He asked in an attempt to make conversation.

Carla grinned, "Oh it's wonderful here. Everyone here is happy, we have plenty of events, and the Winter Ball is actually coming up soon. Tomorrow it's supposed to start. My dad always plans the best stuff for us, y'know. Of course, not everything here is peaceful, but-"

"HALT!"

Suddenly, more figures appeared from behind trees, and charges at Russell, pointing what looked like oversized candy canes at him. The boy immediately put his hand up in defense, "I didn't do anything!"

One of the figures glared at him, "How do we know you're not planning to harm the princess?"

Carla just shook her head, "It's okay, guys. This is Russell. He's a new friend who hails from North Philly. I'm going to show him around, and take him to see my father to see if he can help Russell get back home."

With that, the soldiers lowered their candy canes, though the one who spoke was still suspicious, "Alright, princess. But I'm still wary..." He then gave Russell the 'I'm watching you' look.

"These are my personal bodyguard. Captain Bill and his team, Bucky, Harold, and Mushmouth." Carla introduced them to Russell.

The small boy just stared at the four. Not only did they look like his brother and friends, they even had the same names. Now he knew this had to be a dream, "You remind me of my brother and friends..." Was all he said, "From back home, that is..."

"Where is this... North Philly...?" Harold asked.

"It's North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania..." Russell explained, "In the USA... United States of America..."

The soldiers just stared at him.

Wow. It's like I'm in another universe or something... The boy thought, Better keep from bringing it up then...

Bill continued to stare at him suspiciously, "I don't know where this 'North Philly' is, but if you're so eager to get back there, you'll have to speak with the king himself."

"That's what I said..." Carla spoke, "But first... I think a tour of the kingdom is in order."

Bucky smiled, "You're in luck, stranger. The Winter Kingdom is full of fun stuff! You'll especially love the Toy Village."

"I guess so..." Russell nodded.

"Great!" Carla beamed, "Then let's go, shall we!"

With that, the group continued to walk through the forest, Russell was a bit nervous by the soldiers, especially Bill, who kept giving him glares of suspicion every now and then. But at the same time, he understood why. He was a stranger here in this new world. And it seemed that outsiders were seen as unwanted or enemies...

At least Carla was quite inviting when they first met.

Eventually, they made it out of the forest and on a hill, with a view of a small town, "This is the Toy Village..." Bill explained, "Where all the toys come to life and you can play."

That interested Russell, "Really? That sounds so cool."

"It is indeed." Carla agreed, "Let's meet some of our loyal friends, shall we?"

With that, everyone continued down the hill to the village, which of course didn't take too long. On either side were plenty of buildings, and Russell saw some toys walking around, ranging from dolls to teddy bears to even action figures. When they noticed the bunch, they all greeted them, "Welcome, your highness!" They bowed to Carla.

On of the teddy bears walked towards Russell wearing fancy clothes, "Greetings, newcomer. I am Mayor Ted. Welcome to Toy Village, where all toys live in peace and harmony."

Russell reached down to shake his hand, "How ya' doing... I'm Russell... of North Philly. You don't know where that is."

"Come in join the festivities. We're preparing for the Christmas Ball tomorrow. We're decorating our tree."

Carla smiled, "Oh, that sounds fun."

Another teddy bear, this one being a female, took Russell by the hand and led him towards the tree in the middle of the town square, "Come with me, child. You can help me with my little ones- Oh! Tiana, please don't bounce on the tree! Trevor, don't eat the ornaments! Tyrone, step away from the tinsel!"

The boy could see the mother's little cubs playing by the tree, and he quickly scooped them up in his arms, "They're cute..." He said to the mother, who nodded, "Yes. They're all teething, unfortunately."

"Perhaps they could use little toys to chew on for Christmas."

"Oh, that's a lovely idea, Russell."

Carla watched with proudness as Russell helped the other toys, Harold, Bucky, and Mush helping with the tree, with Bill standing beside her watching as well, "See. He's a nice boy." She said to her soldier, who shrugged, "I guess you're right. I'm still slightly wary of him, but he's no trouble, then I suppose he's alright with me. Besides, he can't be any worse than-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Mush spoke as he looked in the distance near the tree, "Ib seeb suspicious peopleb..."

Bill stood forward, "Stand back, Princess. You too, Rus. We'll handle this."

With that, the four soldiers took out their candy canes and made their way slowly towards the tree, ready to strike and apprehend the intruders. As they raised their canes, the figures shouted out, startling them. Russell took a good look at the figures... and realized they were...

"Rat people?"

Indeed, the creatures were what seemed like rat human hybrids wearing what looked like dark red soldier outfits. One of them wore a pink knitted cap over his face, and Russell instantly knew that he looked like Donald.

"Heh, I guess you caught us." The pink hat-wearing rat shrugged, "But we're just providing a distraction."

Distraction?

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

Suddenly, a burst of wicked laughter filled the air. It scared the toys that they all rushed inside their houses whimpering, "It's him! It's him!"

Russell was confused as the cubs scrambled out of his arms and ran to their mother, "Him? Who's him? What's going on?"

Carla walked towards him with a nervous look, "Remember when I said not all things here are peaceful? Well... there's a reason for that, and it's not a nice one."

As soon as she said that, smoke began to rise from the ground, as the rats circled around it, bowing. Slowly, a figure began to rise from the smoke, his back turned to Russell, Carla, and the guards. Soon, the smoke cleared, and the person turned around, wearing fancy clothes (a dark magenta vest, violet sweater, and black pants), black streaks under his eyes (representing whiskers) a red velvet cape, and an orange flat cap under a crown.

Russell knew exactly who it was.

"That is Rudy... the evil Rat King," Carla said.

"I dunno how I didn't see that coming..." The boy replied.

As for said king, he smirked, "Well, well, well. What do we have here? The four lame army men, my future queen, and... a little shrimp? Where did you come from?"

Russell frowned at him, "Yeah, you're definitely Rudy."

Bill stood forward, pointing his cane at Rudy, "Be gone, you rotten rodent, you have no business here in the Winter Kingdom. Go back to your hole where you belong." He demanded.

But Rudy just chuckled and lowered the cane with his finger, "Oh, Captain... you know me by now... when I see you guys are up to something, I gotta see what's going on for myself."

"King Rudy is the nastiest person to ever step foot in the Winter Kingdom." Harold explained to Russell, "A really wicked dude."

"For years he has tried to take over the kingdom." Bucky added, "But the king has always been able to keep him at bay."

"And we've always been able to stop his army of rats."

"Not to mention that recently... he's been trying to hook up with me." Carla grimaced.

The rat king just smiled at her, "C'mon, Princess. You know you love me. How could you even resist a handsome cutie like me? Who wouldn't want to be my queen?"

"I can think of a lot of people..." Russell retorted.

Rudy growled, "Shut it, shrimp. Stay out of this. Now..." He snapped his fingers, "Rats. Take down those dumb guards."

With that, the rats, taking out oversides nails, did as told, with Donald leading them. Of course, the royal soldiers were prepared as they charged ahead with their candy canes. Carla and Russell stood back, watching the clash from a safe distance. But as they did, they didn't notice Rudy advancing towards them menacingly.

"You're all mine for the taking..." He spoke, getting the princess and small boy's attention.

Russell then stood in front of Carla to protect her, although he didn't really know how he was going to defend her from the rat king, "Stay away from her, you NC creep!" He said.

"NC creep?" Rudy asked, "What does the NC stand for?"

"No class..."

The angered the nasty monarch as he reached into his cape, and pulled out a gold scepter with a diamond on the top of it, "Oh really? Let's see how much class you have with a blast to your face!"

What?

Before Russell could even respond, Rudy fired a blast from his scepter, striking the child head-on, and sending him far back. Carla gasped in shock, "Oh, Russell!"

The rat king laughed evilly as his scepter glowed, "Now, it's time to take my bride and split!" With that, another blast hit Carla, knocking her unconscious as she tried to escape. When she fell into the snow, Rudy grabbed her and placed her over his shoulder.

"Alright, rats! Our work here is done! Let's head back to my beloved castle."

The henchmen stopped and joined their master, leaving the royal guards battered in the snow. With a wave of his scepter, the rat king, his rats, and the princess were gone...

As for Russell, he groaned as he struggled to stand, rubbing his head. Bill soon noticed him, and gestured the others to rush over to the child, "Are you okay...?" He asked.

"I got another headache..." Was Russell's tired response, "Where... where's Carla...?"

It was at that moment that the soldiers realized that the princess was nowhere to be seen... and neither were the rat king and his goons. Bill soon came to a horrifying revelation, "Oh my goodness. King Rudy must've escaped with the Princess!"

"Oh no!" Bucky gasped, "The princess is gone! We failed to protect her!"

"The king'll definitely have our heads for this one." Harold gulped.

"Forb sureb." Mush added.

Russell looked at them, "Can't you go rescue her or something? I mean, this isn't the first time she's been captured by that rat... right...?"

Bill shook his head sadly, "Actually, we've always been able to keep her safe from him... but this time, we couldn't even do that. Not to mention his lair is pretty hidden, so we wouldn't even know where to start looking. With the princess in peril, our kingdom is sure to fall into darkness because of the Rat King."

"It doesn't help that he has dark magic on his side, while all we got is our canes," Harold added, holding up his cane before it broke in half.

That's when the residents of the toy village started to come out of hiding, "Is... is he gone...?" A doll asked.

"Yep... he's gone..." Bill replied, "And so is the princess..."

The toys gasped in horror as the mayor spoke, "Oh dear! What does this mean for the kingdom? She is the heir! Without her, the Winter Kingdom will crumble should the king perish."

"Well, somebody's gotta save her." Russell said, "Isn't there some sort of hero you guys have around here to save the day?"

The soldiers and toys looked at one another, before the major spoke, "Well... there is... or was... the Nutcracker..."

"The Nutcracker?"

Bill nodded, "Yeah. The Nutcracker is our royal vigilante. There have been many of them in the past who always aimed to protect the Winter Kingdom from the likes of evil beings like the Rat King. Whenever one was to pass on, another would take the duty. Unfortunately, the last one we had mysteriously disappeared some time ago... and there hasn't been one since..."

Russell nodded in understanding, "I see... if only there was someone who can be the next one... and he could save Carla..."

As soon as the boy said that, everyone started to stare at him with smiles, which disturbed him, "Um... why are ya'll staring at me like that?" He asked.

"Perhaps that 'someone' you mentioned... could be you," Bill said.

"Wait... WHAT?!"

The toys began to cheer, "Yes, yes! Of course! You, my boy, shall become the newest generation of the Nutcracker!" The mayor declared.

"Indeed, he would be perfect!" The mother teddy agreed.

Russell felt like this was too much to take in as he shook his head, "Hold on! What makes you all think that I could become the new Nutcracker, I'm just a kid. I'm only nine."

"Well, some of our Nutcrackers of the past have started out pretty young." Bill explained, "So I don't think age is a problem."

"But... that Rudy Rat struck me down earlier, remember? If I couldn't avoid that, how could I-"

The soldier captain kneeled down to Russell's height, "When my men and I were fighting the Henchrats, I caught a glimpse of you standing in front of the princess as if to protect her. I could see that you were willing to keep her safe, even if the odds were against you. And if you can do that... you can become the Nutcracker... and save our princess..."

"But... what if I can't do it... what if I fail...?" The child looked down sadly

"Just because you _think_ you can't do it... doesn't mean you can't do it at all. Just believe in yourself..."

Russell looked up at Bill with a small smile, finding that sentence very familiar, "Y'know... you really do remind me of my brother... okay. I'll do it! I'll become the Nutcracker!"

With that confirmation, the toys began to cheer again. That's when Russell realized something, "So... how do I become the Nutcracker...?"

"To become the Nutcracker..." Bill explained, "You must go on a journey through the Freezing Forest, the Candy Cane Valley, the Gingerbread City until you make it to the Cave of Peace, where you must extract the Nutcracker's sword from the ice... simple right?"

"I... guess... so, I guess we better get going."

The captain shook his head, "Not we... you. You're on your own here, kid."

Russell was shocked, "You mean I have to go alone?!"

All Bill did was nod, "The only help you can use is the nature of our kingdom around you. But..." He then pulled out a candy cane and gave it to the child, "I can give you this."

"What do I do with this?" Russell asked.

"Trust me... you'll know when you'll need it."

"O... kay... thanks."

The captain smiled, "Now you better go. The fate of the princess and the kingdom rests in your hands, young North Philly native."

With that, Russell began to head out of the Toy Village, bidding farewell to the soldiers and the toy residence. On the outside, he looked brave and ready to take this challenge, but on the inside, he was still unsure. Could he even pull this sword out of the ice?

But he reminded himself of what he had been told.

Just because you think you can't do it, doesn't mean you can't do it at all...

"I can do this..." He said to himself, "I can... don't worry, Carla. I'm comin' for you..."

**So there you go. Russell finds himself in the Winter Kingdom, where Carla's a princess, Bill, Harold, Bucky, and Mushmouth are her royal guards, and Rudy is the Rat King, with Donald as one of his minions. If you're wondering where Fat Albert will fit in this, trust me, you'll find out when/if Russell gets to his destination. Until then, I'll see you later. And as always, don't forget to review, please.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Journey Begins

**Hey, hey, hey. It's time for another chapter of TLN! Here is the start of Russell's journey to becoming the Nutcracker and save Carla. But of course, Rat King Rudy will do everything in his power to stop the boy. But will Russell outsmart him at every turn? Let's see. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's.**

Chapter 4: The Journey Begins With an Act of Kindness

Russell gripped the candy cane that Captain Bill gave him as he trudged through the snow. As he did, he began to recount the events that led him to this. He's in a whole new world, met a princess and her soldiers, met living toys, was knocked across the head by a rat king, who took the princess, and now he was tasked to save her by becoming the Nutcracker.

What a story to tell the others when he got home... if he ever got home...

"How did I end up in this mess...?" He asked himself, "Do they expect me to fight that rat myself? He almost killed me. How do they know he won't do it and actually succeed this time? Well... I guess I can't complain. I'm doing this for Carla. I know she's countin' on me to save her. All I gotta do is become this Nutcracker hero..."

Soon, Russell found himself in the Freezing Forest again and immediately felt the freezing part. What he didn't realize was that while the forest was big, it wasn't as big as he thought. Maybe it's because he was so small compared to it. As he walked past the trees, he saw the icicles that helped get rid of his headache when he first arrived here.

Perhaps I could use some more of these just in case... He thought as he began to snap some of the frozen water off the branches and put them in his pockets, hoping that they wouldn't melt.

With that, the child continued on through the forest, "So the captain said that I gotta go through the Candy Cane Valley... the Gingerbread City... and go to the Cave of Peace to pull out this sword... I guess that's simple... just keep on going..."

Little did Russell know... was that he was currently being watched.

In a dark place far from the Winter Kingdom, was a castle sitting on top of a mountain. And inside the castle... watching from his throne... was King Rudy as he peered at the Magic Mirror, which showed the image of Russell walking through the Freezing Forest.

"So... what is the little shrimp up to...?" He asked himself with a smirk, "He must be heading home. I wouldn't blame him..."

"Or... he's coming to save me!"

Rudy then turned to Carla, who was tied up to a throne next to his. The king just laughed, "Are you serious? You really think that runt can stop me and save you?! He went down pretty easily when I struck him."

Carla frowned, "Just because he's small, it doesn't mean he's incapable."

"Oh really... well, I guess we'll just have to see then, huh."

The two then continued to watch through the mirror, with Carla having faith in Russell, and Rudy just watching to see the boy fail in his journey.

Back with Russell, he could see up ahead what had to be the end of the forest. The small boy sighed in relief. He was finally going to make it out of this cold area. He started to run towards the edge, hoping to see some hint of the Candy Cane Valley.

SNAP!

The sound of a tree branch breaking startled Russell, as he stopped in his tracks and looked around. Was someone there? Looking at the cane in his hand, he held it up for protection, thankful that the captain of the guard had gifted it to him.

SNAP!

There it was again.

Russell was starting to get nervous, fearing that someone or something would jump out at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a nearby bush shaking. He pointed the cane in that direction, "C-Come out... whoever... or whatever you are..."

The brush rustled again... before out jumped a white little fuzzball with a face. When Russell saw what it was, he lowered his defenses a little as he chuckled, "Oh... uh, hi... you're cute."

The fuzzball squeaked as it hopped over towards the Cosby boy, snuggling against his leg. Russell chuckled as he picked it up, "Are you lost...?" He asked.

It shook its head.

"Do you know the way outta here?"

The little ball hopped down, and turned to where Russell had been running before, "So I was right... thanks..." The fuzzball smiled as it nuzzled against Russell's face. That's when another squeak was heard, and the boy noticed a much bigger fuzz ball, with four more tinier ones following behind it.

Russell assumed that the fuzzball he was holding had a family, so he set it down on the snowy ground, and it hopped over to its mother and siblings. As he did, he also noticed one of the babies was whimpering. Looking closely, Russell could see that it was injured as he could see a patch of blood on its fur.

"Is he okay...?" He asked the mother, who shook her head.

"We narrowly escaped an attack by the rats. My little one got struck by a beam from the Rat King's scepter." She explained in a high pitched voice.

Russell would have been surprised that fuzzball was talking, but he had interacted with living toys earlier, so this wasn't a big shock to him. All he did was shake his head, "No class..."

The boy then remembered the icicles he picked up, and pulled a small one out of his pocket, breaking off a piece of it, "Let him eat this. It should heal him."

The mother let her baby move to the front, as Russell picked him up, showing him the ice. The baby shook his head and turned away, "C'mon, buddy. You'll feel better..." He urged.

The baby looked at him, before slowly opening his mouth, allowing Russell to pop the ice in it. The little fuzz chewed the ice, and as soon as he swallowed the melted ice, a light glow covered the injury, before fading it away. The baby squeaked happily and jumped up and down as Russell smiled, "See. Told ya..."

"Thank you, kind sir." The mother said, "My little one is feeling much better..."

"No problem, M'am. Say, what are you guys anyway... I'm not from around here."

The mother smiled, "We are a species known as Winter Sprites. We love the snow and most of us reside here in the Freezing Forest. My name is Isla, and these are my babies; Ivan, Lucy, Piper, Bella, and the one you healed is Russ."

Russell chuckled, "Hey, my name is Russell. Nice to meet you, Russ..." He said to the baby sprite, who squeaked in happiness.

"What brings you here to the Freezing Forest, Young Russell...?" Isla asked.

"I'm on a quest to save the Princess. She was kidnapped by the Rat King, and I need to become the new Nutcracker in order to save her." Russell explained to her, "And I need to get to the end of the forest and head on to the Candy Cane Valley."

Isla nodded, "So the rumors are true. I've heard from the birds and the badgers that the princess is in peril. Such a shame if something were to happen to her. The Winter Kingdom would fall in disarray."

"Yeah... I've heard..."

"Well, you're very close to the end of the forest. Just keep going the way you were, and you should make it."

"Got it, thanks. I better get going."

"Good luck on your journey, Young Russell."

With that, the boy continued through the forest, as the sprites squeaked in farewell. Russell started to feel a bit more confident. He managed to help a creature feel better by using the icicles he found. He actually used a part of nature, just like Bill had told him.

And he didn't doubt himself once while doing it.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He could do it.

Back at Rudy's castle...

"Aw... how cute..." Carla sighed when she saw the sprites, and especially when she saw how Russell healed one of the babies. Rudy just rolled his eyes at the random act of kindness.

"Dumb animals... they always get in your way. Plus they're super annoying with their high pitch screams."

Carla glared at him, "You didn't have to hurt one of them."

"I wasn't trying to. But I'm glad I did. And screw that shrimp for healing it. Perhaps he is capable..." He then began to think, "I guess it's time for me to take some action."

"What do you mean...?" Carla asked.

Rudy smirked, "You'll see, my dear... you'll see..."

**We meet a family of sprites, so Russell performs an act of kindness for the baby, so we got a bit of a lighthearted chapter. The next chapter is where things will start to happen, and judging by the mysterious creature and whatever Rudy's planning, that can be guaranteed. Until then, I'll see you guys later, and as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you! :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Candy Cane Action

**Good day, my friends. Time for another chapter of TLN. Christmas is very close, and I'm basically racing against the clock to get this done in time. We have Russell adventuring through the Candy Cane Valley, and this is where we'll start to see how he'll put that candy cane to good use here, not to mention see what Rudy's evil plan will be to stop him. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Chapter 5: Candy Cane Action

"What are you planning to do to Russell?" Carla asked as Rudy stood from his throne and grabbed his scepter.

"It's rather simple, my princess..." The Rat King replied, "That little shrimp will do anything he can to save you... but he can't do anything if he can't find the Cave of Peace and become the Nutcracker... DONALD!"

As if on cue, the henchrat came into the room, "Y-Yes, your majesty?" He asked.

Rudy smirked, "I have a favor for you, and if you do a good job, there might be a cheese treat in store for you and the others."

Donald smiled happily at that, "Yeah, yeah. I do love some cheese. What you need us to do?"

"I want you to follow that shrimp, Russell. He's trying to find the Cave of Peace so that he can become the new Nutcracker, and save the princess. Make sure he doesn't get there. Do everything you can to stop him..." The villain then smirked evilly when he added this, "Even if he dies..."

Carla gasped in horror. Was Rudy really going to have Russell get eliminated? He couldn't! Russell was so young.

Donald saluted, "Sure thing, your rotten royalness. You can count on me and the guys to take care of the kid. I'll get them right now and we'll follow him." With that, he left the room. Rudy chuckled, "Perfect. As soon as that brat is out of the way, I'll start my ultimate plan to take over the Winter Kingdom."

"How...?" Carla asked.

"Why, I'm glad you asked, doll..." The rat villain turned to her, "I'm sure you know this, but when your father dies or retires or whatever, you will become Queen. But obviously, you'll need a king to rule by your side. That's where I come in. If your Daddy wants you safe and sound, he will have to abdicate the throne to you, and give his blessing for us to get married."

The princess scoffed, "As if. My dad will never give up the throne just so you can become king..."

All Rudy did was smile as his scepter glowed, "Fortunately, I have a feeling he just might refuse... which is why I have a backup plan..." Suddenly, he pointed his scepter towards a random chair, and shot a blast towards it, incinerating the chair out of existence.

Carla gulped when she saw that, as Rudy glared at her, "That is what will happen to your father if he refuses to give up the throne. I'll just incinerate him, take you by force, and marry you. It would be a shame if I have to do that... but sometimes, desperate times call for drastic measures."

The rat king leaned into the princess, "So you better hope your father chooses wisely..." He sneered.

All Carla could do was whimper slightly and blink back tears. The thought of her father dying was too much to handle, and she certainly didn't want to have Rat King Rudy as a husband.

"Oh, Russell... hurry... time is of the essence..." She whispered to herself.

Meanwhile, with Russell himself, he finally made it out of the Freezing Forest. As he did, he thought about how he helped the baby fuzz sprite feel better when he got hurt by the Rat King. He honestly couldn't believe that Rudy would harm an innocent animal, but he supposed that showed just how cruel he really was.

Now that the thought of the Rat King came up, Russell wondered if the villain knew what he was doing right now, and was concocting a plan to stop him. There was no chance he was going to make it to the Cave of Peace without some kind of encounter from the Rat King and/or his rat minions.

"That creep must think he's all that if he wants to take me out and rule the kingdom..." The boy thought out loud, "He's just like school on New Years... no class. But I gotta keep going. I gotta save Carla... which I guess also means saving the whole entire kingdom if it depends on her in the future."

It had been about fifteen minutes since he left the Freezing Forest, so he soon made it to the top of a hill, and in the distance, he saw giant candy canes... this had to be the Candy Cane Valley.

Good. All he needed to do was cross through there, and then the Gingerbread City, and then he would make it to the Cave of Peace and find that sword. Captain Bill was right. This was rather simple.

Or at least he hoped it would be simple.

Russell continued down the hill... unaware that he was being followed by Donald and his group. They watched as he walked down the hill and towards the valley. The rat minion spoke to his team, "Okay, our king wants us to make sure that kid doesn't make it to the Cave of Peace. Anybody got any ideas on how to stop 'em...?"

The other rats looked at one another, before shrugging. All but one though, "Maybe we can trap him here in the Candy Cane Valley."

"Yeah, let's make a cage outta Candy Canes and trap him there forever." Another rat added.

Donald nodded, "That sounds good. Let's try it, and if that doesn't work... I dunno what else we can do."

With that, the minions started to follow the boy again. Speaking of which, Russell stopped to take a good look at the valley. It was covered completely in Candy Canes, on the ground, and on the cliffs. He couldn't help but admire the design. Perhaps he could take a spare candy cane just in case the one he had broke in some type of situation or another.

But before he could take another step, he heard voices.

"C'mon. We gotta trap him before he gets too far."

Russell instantly recognized that voice as Donald's. Looking around frantically, he tried to find a place to hide, before settling on hiding behind a candy cane tree. He took a peek and saw the Henchrats walking by, seemingly searching for him. In an attempt to not have them look behind the tree, Russell decided to climb the tree, hoping the rats were too dumb to look up.

He slowly and quietly made his way to the top and watched as the rats spread out and began to look him. After a few moments, they couldn't see to find him, not even when Donald looked around the tree he had climbed, "I guess he already left... let's keep moving and see if we can catch up..."

Russell sighed in relief. He then prepared to climb down... if not for the candy cane that fell from a branch and hit Donald on the head, "Hey..." He rubbed his head and looked up, spotting the child, "There is he! Trap him!"

With that, the rats circled around the tree, their nail swords out, "We gotcha surrounded kid. Come down so we can trap ya..." Donald called.

But Russell stayed where he was, "Why do you want to trap me?"

"So that you won't make it to the Cave of Peace, find the sword of the Nutcracker, and become the Nutcracker. So that KIng Rudy can take over the kingdom." The dimwitted henchman explained to him, "A pretty easy plan, isn't it?"

Russell was stunned, "How did you know what I was doin'?"

"King Rudy has this magic mirror that lets him see stuff around the area, and he was watching ya', so he sent us out to stop you from getting to the Cave of Peace. And we decided that we're gonna trap you here in the Candy Cane Valley so that you can't get anywhere."

"Oh yeah, and just how do you plan to trap me?" The boy asked, trying his best to stall.

Donald answered, "Easy. We'll put you in a cage outta candy canes."

"And... where's the cage...?"

That's when the rats began to realize that they hadn't made the cage yet, "Yeah, you're right. We haven't made the cage yet. Thanks for pointing that out, kid. Give us about fifteen minutes." Donald told him. With that, the minions scrambled to gather candy canes to make the cage.

Russell realized that he could get down from the tree and sneak away while they were distracted, but he knew if he did, the rats would notice he was gone and chase after him again. So he had to make sure to get them off his trail. The child started to brainstorm on how... until he saw a piece of cheese that fell out of one of the rats' pockets. That alone gave him an idea.

He slowly slid down the tree, and tiptoed over to the cheese, picking it up. Ten minutes later, the rats had finished making the cage, tying the candy canes together with ropes that they had, "Okay, kid. We made the cage. Now we can trap ya..." Donald called, opening the door.

Russell then walked towards the cage, "Yeah... I guess you got me, guys..." He feigns defeat... before throwing the piece of cheese into the cage. The rats, including Donald, gasped at the sight of it, before they all lunged at the cheese, fighting over it. Russell then closed the door of the cage with his own candy cane and locking it with a makeshift key he made himself.

He couldn't help but smirk at his brilliant thinking, "You guys are like a lamp with a broken bulb... you're not too bright. Well, it was nice knowing ya, but I gotta get to the Cave of Peace. Later..."

With that, he continued further into the valley, and the rats didn't even realize that they were tricked and trapped themselves.

**So with Russell's quick thinking, he's able to get through the Candy Cane Valley and escape Rudy's rat minions, not to mention have them apprehended for a while. All I can tell you is that Rudy will NOT be happy that they failed. Next chapter, we'll see Russell enter the Gingerbread City. I'm not planning on this being a long story, but have enough chapters so that it'll be gone in time for Christmas. So with that said, I'll see you guys later, and don't forget to review, please. Thank you.**


	6. Chapter 6: Gingerbread Possession

**Hey, how are you doing? Fine? Good, because it's time for another chapter of TLN! Russell, after thwarting Rudy's henchrats, he's going to continue to the Gingerbread City, and be greeted by it's residents. But we should know by now that Rudy has other tricks up his sleeves to keep the child from reaching the Cave of Peace. Let's see what trouble he cooks up in this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's.**

Chapter 6: Gingerbeard Possession

Russell laughed into himself as he thought of the poor rats he tricked into going into the cage that they built to trap them. Considering they were led by Dumb Donald, he wasn't too surprised at how dumb they _all _were.

He made his way through the valley, picking up another candy cane just in case he needed it. He kept Carla in his mind as he continued to walk, but moreso, he was thinking of the fact that Rat King Rudy was trying to stop him from reaching his destination. He had a feeling that facing the henchrats wouldn't be the end of it either. The rat king was bound to come up with more ways to stop him... might even kill him.

_No._ He thought. _I can't let him get the better of me. I will make it to the Cave of Peace, get that sword, and become the Nutcracker and save Carla. She's depending on me._

And soon, he made it to the end of the valley, and on top of another hill. In the distance, he saw what looked like a town... made out of cookies. Could this be the Gingerbread City? Only one way to find out...

And Russell would find out sooner than he hoped, as when he started to run, he tripped over a rock, sending him tumbling down the hill hard and fast. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop himself from falling. By the time he made it to the bottom, the boy groaned in pain. Immediately, he took out an icicle and bit off a piece of it, sighing when the pain went away.

"Are you okay, mister...?"

Russell looked up, and saw a tiny gingerbread boy about his size standing in from of him, "Uh... yeah. I'm fine. Where am I?"

"In the Gingerbread City. My name's George. What's yours...?"

"Russell..."

"Nice to meet you Russell... well, c'mon. I'll take you to see my Mama and Papa."

With that, Russell began to follow George, and sure enough, he was at the enterance of the city. This must be where he landed when he fell. As he walked through the city, he saw other Gingerbread people walking around, waving or greeting him happily. At least they didn't seem hostile.

George smiled at the boy, "Our city is a really fun place to be. You're just in time for the pre- Christmas Ball dinner."

Dinner?

That's when Russell realized that he hadn't eaten anything aside from ice since he'd been here. Perhaps a little something to eat wouldn't hurt... if it weren't for the fact that he didn't have time to eat, "That does sound nice... but-"

"Look, there's my Mama and Papa!"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence as George ran up to two more gingerbread people, one with curly chocolate hair, and one with a mustache. If Russell had to guess, these were George's parents.

"Mama, Papa! This is Russell. Can he join us for the dinner?" The little cookie boy asked his parents.

"I don't see why not." His mother answered.

"Any guest is always welcome." His father added.

Russell shook his head, "I'd love to join you guys for dinner, but I can't. The princess of the Winter Kingdom needs me. She was kidnapped by the Rat King, and if don't become the Nutcracker and save her, the Winter Kingdom is doomed."

As soon as he mentioned this, almost every gingerbread person stopped what they were doing to react in shock of what they just heard, "The princess is in trouble?!" A lady asked.

"The Rat King struck again!" A man cried in horror.

"We're doomed!"

"He's going to plunge us into darkness!"

"What do we do?"

The gingerbread people started to panic, and it would have gotten worse if Russell didn't calm them down, "It's gonna be fine. I'm gonna save her, and become the Nutcracker apparently."

The residents seemed to feel much better at that reassurance, "Oh thank heavens..." George's mother replied.

"There hasn't been a Nutcracker in years since the one we had disappeared." His father added.

Russell nodded, "I'm aware. So I really gotta get going..."

"Can't you just stay for a little while...?" George asked, clinging to Russell's coat, "I mean, if you're gonna save the princess, you should eat to keep your strength up. Besides, you must be hungry after getting here."

The boy wanted to protest again, but then looked down at his stomach, which was grumbling. He sighed in defeat, "I guess I can stay for just a little while and get a bite to eat."

Meanwhile...

"IDIOTS!" King Rudy roared at his minions as they sat on their knees in front of them, bowing their heads in shame, "Morons! Not only did you fail to get rid of the shrimp, you allow him to trick you!"

Donald whimpered, "B-B-But we tried our best, your dirtiness. He actually helped us, by reminding us to build a cage for him."

"He did that for a reason! He was trying to distract you, and when the moment came, he tricked you into entering the cage just to get a measly piece of CHEESE! And did you really think a cage would be the best solution to stop him?!"

"W-Well, we thought that if he was stuck in a cage, he couldn't get to the Cave of Peace."

Rudy glared, "But did you think of the possibility that he might have escaped...?"

Donald was about to reply, before shaking his head, "No... didn't think of that."

"You don't think much, do you...? All of you, get out of my sight! You ain't getting _any_ cheese for the rest of the year!"

With that, the somber rats retreated out of the throne room with their heads hung low. As soon as they were gone, Rudy groaned and put his face in his head, while Carla just smirked, "See? Russell can get out of any situation."

"You make a good point..." The rat king replied, "That kid is smarter than I realized." Using his scepter, he brought over his mirror, and watched as Russell was having dinner with the Gingerbread people.

Carla smiled, "Ah, Gingerbread City. I remember seeing them last week to help with the new houses."

Rudy rolled his eyes at that comment, and continued to glare at the mirror, "Apparently my rats weren't enough to stop the little brat. But I wonder what would happen if a whole population of people could stop him..."

"Now what are going to do?" Carla asked.

Smirking wickedly, he pointed his sceptor, "Just watch." With that, he pointed a beam at the mirror.

Back in the city, the gingerbread people were enjoying their feast. Russell himself was getting all the food, which was mostly dessert, but he didn't mind that at all. As along as he still had time to reach the Cave of Peace. "I hope you will be able to save the princess." George said to him.

"I hope so too..." Russell added, before muttering under his breath, "... and I sure hope I can do it without dying..."

As the child finished a slice of pie, a beam suddenly shot down from out of nowhere, hitting all of the adult gingerbread people. This started Russell greatly, as did George, "What was that?" He asked.

"I dunno... but I think we're about to find out..."

One by one, the gingerbread people's candy eyes of all color... turned into a demon like red color. They stood still for a moment, before turning towards Russell. The look on their faces was all he needed to know what was up.

They wanted to kill him.

As for the Gingerbread children, they were confused and scared with why their parents were acting so weird. George tried to snap his parents out of it, "Mama! Papa! What's the matter?"

But the people didn't listen, and instead started charging towards Russell, who immediately started to run away. At first, he had no idea what was going on, but it soon started to become clear.

_This is definitely Rudy's doing. _He thought, _He's doing everything he can to get rid of me. Looks like I gotta go everything **I **can to outsmart him... but how?_

Russell ducked and dodged throughout the city. But no matter where he went, he just couldn't escape the wrath of the Gingerbread people, who weren't going to stop until he was dead.

And there was so many of them.

Soon, Russell was able to hide in one of the houses, and watched as the evil cookies ran right passed. He was about to sigh with relief until he heard noises. The boy turned to see all of the gingerbread kids huddled together, some whimpering and some crying. George had stood forward, "What's going on, Russell? Why are our parents acting so strange?" He asked.

Russell sighed, "I think it's the Rat King's plan. He must have done something to turn your parents against me. He's trying everything he can to kill me so that I won't become the Nutcracker."

"What should we do?" Asked a gingerbread girl.

"We want our mama's and papa's back." Said another gingerbread boy.

Russell looked out the window again, "I really don't know... how to you bring a living gingerbread cookie back from being evil...? It's not like there's something here that can do that..."

He then placed his hands in his pockets to think... before remembering something he had. The small boy pulled out one of the icicles he collected while still in the Freezing Forest. This gave him an idea, "Y'know... if these pieces of ice can heal the injured... maybe they can cleanse evil."

The gingerbread kids all looked at one another before George spoke again, "I've never heard of an icicle turning someone good."

"There's only one way to find out." Russell smiled, "But I'll need all of your help."

With that, the kids all gathered around Russell has he explained the plan to them. Thankfully, because there was a tree with icicles nearby, the plan would work perfectly.

As for the possessed gingerbread adults, they were still looking for Russell. As they rounded a corner, Russell stepped out in front of them with a mocking smile, "Hey, giant cookies! Want me? Come and get me!" He then turned to run away.

The cookies immediately followed him, with the intent of ripping him to shreds. They gave chase for about thirty seconds until they started to approach a table in the town square, filled with icicles, and a sign that said, 'Free Icicles! Get 'Em While They're Cold'.

Suddenly, the people seemed to forget about their motive, and one by one, grabbed an icicle and started eating. Russell and the other kids watched from behind a building, hoping that this the trick.

Thankfully, after swallowing the icicles, the red in their eyes disappeared, and now they were just standing there, confused. The gingerbread kids cheered with happiness as they rushed to hug their respective parents, George included.

"Goodness. What happened?" George's mother asked.

"The Rat King put a spell on you. But it's okay now. Russell brought you guys back to normal." The gingerbread kid explained.

Speaking of, the boy himself walked out with a smile, "Guilty as charged. I figured that the icicles would cleanse the evil."

George's father chuckled, "Well now. Looks like we've got a savior among us. You, my boy, are destined to become the Nutcracker."

The Nutcracker...

He nearly forgot!

"That reminds me. I'd better get going if I'm _ever _gonna become the Nutcracker." Russell said as he started to leave, "Thanks for the feast and stuff."

George then gave him a sudden hug, as so did all the other kids, "Thanks Russell. Thanks for saving our parents." He said with a smile.

Russell nodded back, "No problem. I had to do something. But... I really gotta go."

With that, they released him as he ran off, bidding his farewell as the Gingerbread people watched. Russell hoped that, despite that distraction, he still had time to reach the Cave of Peace. But he realized just how desperate King Rudy was to stop him.

But he refused to let that happen. He had to become the Nutcracker, he had to save the Winter Kingdom, he had to stop Rudy...

And more importantly... he had to save Carla...

**So we see Russell stumble upon the Gingerbread City, meet the residents, get chases by the residents, but is able to save them all, and now he continues his journey. How far will he get, and what dirty trick will Rudy pull to try and stop him? We'll see in the next chapter. Until then, I'll see you guys later, and as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you. **


	7. Chapter 7: Abominable & Drastic

**Hello! It's time for another grand chapter of TLN! We're continuing on with Russell's journey, and see what new vicious plan Rudy has to get rid of him. Something tells me that things are gonna get hairy today, and crazy as well. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's.**

Chapter 7: Abominable & Drastic

"GAAAH!" Rudy screamed out in rage as he once again saw his plan fall apart, "That little shrimp did it again!"

He then heard Carla snickering beside him as he glared at her, "You shut it! It ain't that funny!"

"Oh yes, it is." The princess giggled, "It's hilarious that you keep getting beat by a kid younger than you."

The rat king growled as he stood up from his throne to pace, "He's smarter than I realized... for a little shrimp, he's got big ideas. I should've known cookies wouldn't stop him..." He then had an idea as he chuckled wickedly, "But... what chance would he have against... something _bigger_...?"

With a new plan in mind, Rudy turned back to his mirror and shot a beam with his scepter, "Cold hearts, brutal winds bend, create a monster to cause that brat's end!"

Carla watched with concern, "What did you just create...?"

"Something to get rid of that brat once and for all!"

Meanwhile...

"Squeaky fuzzballs, dumb rats, killer cookies... this is definitely a story to tell the guys back at home..."

Russell continued on his journey with much more confidence. After what happened with the Gingerbread people, he was currently on an adrenaline rush. It shouldn't be much longer until he reached the Cave of Peace, get that sword, saves Carla, and hopefully get home.

In front of the little boy, was a few hills and mountains. Bill sure didn't mention this, but hopefully, that cave was close by. Russell prayed that Rudy wouldn't try to stop him this time, but he knew that was unlikely at this point.

"I'm sure whatever that jerk's got up his sleeves, that I can definitely outsmart him again..." He said to himself, "He's definitely no different from the Rudy I know..."

As he continued on, Russell noticed that it was starting to get dark. Nighttime already? He'd be surprised if he didn't fall asleep by the time he got to the Cave of Peace. But he knew he was close. Maybe just a few more steps...

_RAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWRRRRRR!_

The little boy stopped dead in his tracks when he heard that loud sound. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was a bear. But it sure didn't sound like a bear or any animal he had known.

It sounded like something much worse...

Russell looked around but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just his imagination. At least, that's what he hoped it was. He started to walk again, but yet again heard that horrendous roar.

But this time... it sounded closer.

Nevertheless, the boy continued on, hoping to get out of this territory and to safety. But as he did... he noticed that it was much darker than before. He knew it was becoming nighttime... but did it really get this dark here...?

Soon, Russell realized why it suddenly seemed darker when he heard a low growl right behind him. A large shadow was covering him. Shivering a little, he turned around slowly... and almost fainted at what he saw.

Standing behind the child was a humongous white beast. It was furry, rather muscular... and had eyes that read 'murder' very clearly. It growled again, glaring directly at Russell, who gulped.

"Just when I thought Rudy couldn't get any more desperate..."

Without missing another beat, Russell ran off. The snow beast let out another roar as it chased after the kid. Despite the monster being much larger and a little faster, Russell was able to keep out of its reach. He ducked and dodged to avoid getting grabbed, but it was slowly becoming more and more difficult.

Suddenly, the boy tripped over some rocks, causing his yellow scarf to get caught between them. He recovered quickly and tried to free his scarf, but to no avail. He even tried to free himself of the scarf, but it tangled (not to the point of choking him, but where it was hard to remove). The monster loomed over him, growling lowly.

Russell flinched in fear. At this point, it felt like he couldn't get away.

He saw the beast lowering his hand towards him...

Goodbye, cruel winter world.

From the Rat King's lair, Rudy and Carla were watching from the mirror. Carla was getting more and more concerned, while Rudy was delighted that his plan was seemingly working.

"Yes! Yes!" He said with evil joy, "Tear that shrimp to shreds, my monstrous creation."

"Please, Russell... you can get outta this..." Carla hoped quietly.

As for Russell himself, he then noticed the beast, with his long sharp nails, carefully grab his scarf, and free it from the rocks. This confused the boy greatly, "You... you helped me."

The beast stared at him blankly.

"I thought you wanted to kill me..."

It tilted its head in confusion. Russell was just as confused, as if the beast suddenly forgot what it was trying to do, and got distracted by his scarf. Could this be his chance to escape?

"You don't know what you're doing, do you?" Russell asked, "You don't know that you were created by a crazy king who sent you to eat me... do you?"

The beast groaned lowly as if to say 'no'.

"Yeah... and now you're calm... you seem to have the attention span of a squirrel... I guess this is a good thing. Look, I'm in a bit of a hurry. I need to get to the Cave of Peace, find the Nutcracker's sword, become the Nutcracker, and save a princess... do you know which way I should go...?"

The snow beast stared at the little boy, before slowly pointing his finger in a direction behind Russell. The kid looked and smiled, "I just gotta keep going that way... didn't think I needed to ask a giant man-beast for directions, but here I am. Thanks, man. For a big guy who just tried to kill me, you sure are nice."

That's when the beast gave a big grin, and as some snow blew by... he was gone.

Russell was surprised by that but smiled to himself that he managed to get through to the beast... although, he supposed he should thank his scarf for being a distraction.

But now... he had a mission at hand.

Back at Rudy's lair.

Carla was laughing, "Who knew that a great ferocious beast could be distracted by a simple scarf. And Russell didn't really have to do anything. Perhaps that all he was chasing him for."

As for Rudy... he wasn't laughing. He wasn't even happy.

He was furious...

"That little... monster..." He growled, standing up, "I've sent everything I could to get rid of him! My rats, possession the gingerbread people, and finally, that dumb beast! But nothing worked!"

He raised his scepter and shot a beam at a random area in the room in a rage, "I've had it! He's gotten on my last nerve! If you want something done... you gotta do it yourself!"

"Now what are you planning?" Carla asked, now concerned again.

Rudy gave her a rather disturbing smirk, "Since all of my plans failed... it looks like I gotta murder the brat myself!"

With that, he disappeared, leaving Carla now scared. Now it seemed like King Rudy was done playing games at this point. He truly was going to deal with Russell himself. Knowing how brutal the Rat King could be... this could end in disaster.

All the princess could do was hope and pray that Russell made it out alive...

As for Russell himself...

After about ten minutes, he made it out through the mountains and hills. Much like with the Gingerbread people, the snow beast gave him an adrenaline rush, as he was now determined to get to that darn cave finally.

But as he reached the end of the mountains... he found himself in an open field.

Nothing but snow all around...

Speaking of, it started to fall as the sky grew a bit darker.

"Maybe it's on the other side..." He wondered as he began to run straight through the field. Perhaps the cave was hidden or something. It had to be if no one has barely been there. Unfortunately, when Russell reached the other side after about two minutes... he discovered that... there was no other side...

In front of him was a cliff... a cliff he nearly slipped off while running. He couldn't see anything across from the cliff, either because it was snowing... or there really was nothing there...

What was this?

"This has to be a joke..." Russell said to himself as he backed away, "The cave should be here... did I make a wrong turn? I couldn't have. No, I can't fail. I'm so close. This has to be a mistake."

"Oh, it definitely was a mistake."

The small boy felt literal shivers when he heard that cold tone of voice. Turning around, he gasped in horror to see the Rat King standing behind him, a glare on his face that read, 'I'm going to kill you'. Russell didn't need to ask to know _why _he was here. He already knew the deal...

"Let me guess... you've come to stop me from getting to the Cave of Peace." He said.

Rudy growled slightly, "You bet, small fry. I'm also here to make sure you don't survive either. You have foiled every single one of my plans to get rid of you... so I'll have to take matters into my own hands. You made a mistake coming to this world, Russell Cosby..."

Russell frowned at him, "It's not like I chose to come here. I got knocked out and found myself here."

"Really? Well, let me help knock you out again, permanently!"

Suddenly, he pointed his scepter at Russell and fired a beam, but the child dodged it and tried to run away. However, he had a hard time trying to escape, as Rudy continued to fire blast after blast at him. Every blast was shot in front of Russell, prompting him to turn and run another way, only for another blast to hit.

At one point, a blast got close enough to send Russell into the snow. The force of the shot put a lot of pressure on his little body, as he groaned in pain. Sitting up a little, he could see that he was close to the edge of the cliff. The boy squeaked and tried to scoot away, before another blast hit next to him, moving him dangerously closer to the cliff.

Rudy chuckled evilly, "Looky here. The boy who was sent to get the sword and save the princess... about to fall to his death. Tell me, did you really think that you could do this? Did you really think you'd succeed in your mission?"

Russell wanted to respond before he realized that, despite how far he made it... he still hadn't gotten to the Cave of Peace...

... He... failed...

All the boy could do was look at the nasty villain sadly, and the villain chuckled again, "Thought so... bye-bye, shrimp!"

With that, Rudy pointed his scepter at the ground in front of Russell and fired a blast that caused it to give way... and Russell with it. The boy was sent tumbling off the cliff... and he was gone.

The Rat King strolled closer to look over the edge, seeing nothing. He smirked with satisfaction, "It's such a shame that it had to come to this... but you left me no choice, runt... now, to put my plan in motion, and finally claim the Winter Kingdom for myself!"

Rudy let out an evil bombastic laugh as he walked away. Back at his lair, Carla was horrified and began to sob softly. Russell... was gone... he couldn't save her... or her kingdom...

"Russell... I'm so sorry..."

**Ooh...**

**Is this the end of Russell as we know it? Did Rudy get rid of him for good? Is the Winter Kingdom doomed? Well, all of these answers will be answered in the next chapter, which is where we'll finally see our favorite fat boy come to play. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll see you guys later, and as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you!**


	8. Chapter 8: A Hero's Past

**Good evening, my readers! It's time for another fun chapter of TLN! We'll see what became of Russell after his great big fall at the hands of Rudy. And we'll learn what happened to the previous Nutcracker. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's.**

Chapter 8: A Hero's Past

It was only a few seconds...

Almost a full minute...

But it was enough for Russell to register what just happened.

He was sure that Rat King Rudy had killed him for certain this time. He was blasted off a cliff for crying out loud. But now, he found himself hanging on a lone branch on the side of said cliff, holding on to the candy cane that Captain Bill gave him prior to his journey.

Bill was right, he _would _need it.

Russell was breathing heavily as he gripped the cane tightly. He didn't fall very far, so there was still a deep distance beneath him. And he was not a fan of heights. Although he saved himself from dying...

... How was he going to get off this branch?

As he tried to catch his breath, he found that he was surrounded by fog... which started to separate right next to him... revealing... an entrance of some kind? The child looked closely and gasped as it glowed.

Was this... the Cave of Peace?

He... he found it! He didn't fail after all!

"The Cave of Peace... I guess Rudy actually did me a favor this time..."

Carefully, Russell swung himself off the branch, and with patience and effort, used the candy cane to move towards the cave, before jumping in and panting, "Thanks, Bill..." He said to himself as he walked inside.

The cave was beautiful, made out of ice so that Russell could see his own reflection. No wonder many people haven't been here before. It was hard to find. Maybe he just got lucky.

Russell walked further into the cave... until he reached an open space. The room was huge... and in the enter of it... a sword stuck in a block of ice.

The Nutcracker's sword.

The boy almost laughed with joy as he rushed towards it. He did it, he actually did it. He made it to the cave and found the sword. Now all he had to do was get the sword out of the ice, become the Nutcracker, save Carla, save the kingdom, and finally get back home.

_Well... here goes nothing..._With that, Russell slowly and carefully put his hands on the silver and gold handle of the sword. Suddenly, the second he touched it, it began to glow brightly, causing the small boy to back away and shield his eyes. Once the glow died down, Russell looked again to see what happened...

Floating above the sword... was what had to be some sort of spirit... he was a fat boy, wearing a formal looking uniform, and a bright smile on his face.

"Hey, hey, hey..." He greeted, "What can you say...?"

"Um..." Russell was at a loss of words, "I... really don't know what to say about this. Touch a sword, a ghost shows up."

The spirit chuckled, "No need to be afraid, little dude. I won't hurt you... I couldn't even if I wanted too."

"Who are you?"

"I... am Albert... the last Nutcracker."

Russell gasped in shock, "Whoa... I sure didn't expect this."

"I've waited for such a long time for the next person who would take up the mantle of Nutcracker..." Albert said with a smile, "And it looks like the day has finally come. I understand that there is trouble in the Winter Kingdom."

Russell nodded, "Yep. This rat king named Rudy kidnapped the princess, so the captain of the guard sent me on a journey to come to this place to get this sword and save her. Almost got killed a bunch of times getting here..."

"And it looks like you made it. Hey, hey, hey. I don't think I've seen you before. What's your name?"

"Russell... Russell Cosby. I'm not from around here. I'm from North Philly. One minute I'm there, next I'm here. And honestly... I'm just trying to get back home... I want to save the princess... but I also want to see my friends and family again..."

Albert nodded in understanding, "I see... well, I'm sure you'll get home one way or another..."

"But first... I gotta do this. But wait... if you were the original Nutcracker... why are you here? And why are you a ghost?"

The spirit sighed, "It's a bit of a story. I wasn't always... a ghost as you say. A while ago, I was alive and well. And that king you mentioned, Rudy, he wasn't always a rat human hybrid. He used to be a handsome prince... who was rather spoiled and self-centered. So much so, that he was cursed to become the monster he is now. And let me tell ya, he's a piece of work."

"I believe it..." Russell scoffed.

"He and I were always at odds. He would try to take over the WInter Kingdom, but I'd always come him to stop his dastardly plans. Things seemed good for the past few years... until one fateful day over a year ago. Rudy and I had a fight on the very cliff you fell off... the fight I thought I'd win for good..."

_Albert lifted his sword again to block the blow from Rudy's scepter. They had been going at it for a long time now. This fight seemed to be much more personal and serious now._

_"Why don't you give up already, Rudy?" He asked, blocking another blow, "You're clearly tired out._

_"__The rat king panted as he glared at his enemy, "Never... I will never give up... until I get rid of you and finally take control of the Winter Kingdom!"_

_"If you haven't succeeded by now, you'll never succeed. What happened to you, Prince Rudy? Why did you become such an awful beast?"_

_Rudy growled, "You know why! I used to be a handsome prince, and all I wanted was a new kingdom to rule on my own because mine was such a lame place, and I had nothing! But no! All I get is a curse! I'm doomed to look like a human rat abomination for the rest of my life! And if I have to suffer... so should everybody else!"_

_He shot a beam at Albert, who quickly dodged it. He pointed his sword at the villain, shooting a magical beam of his own. Rudy dodged it by jumping over Albert, landing at the edge of the cliff._

_"I wish you'd stay outta my way..." He said lowly._

_Albert frowned, "And I wish I didn't have to do this."_

_"Do what?"_

_"This!"_

_Suddenly, he pointed his sword at the ground, and stabbed through it, breaking off a piece of the ground Rudy was on. The rat king screamed as he plummeted towards the ground. Albert sighed as he looked over the edge, "I wasn't trying to kill you, Rudy. Just get you to give up this time around..."_

_"Too bad. Because like I said, I never give up!"_

_The Nutcracker gasped in shock as he turned around to see the Rat King smirking at him as he fired a blazing blast straight at him..._

Back in the present...

"By the time I figured it out, I forgot that he had magic... and it was too late..." Albert told Russell sadly.

Russell nodded, "Wow... that is a story. And the soldiers told me that they had no idea what happened to you... I knew Rudy was crazy, but I never thought he'd... who am I kidding? He _just _attempted to kill me not too long ago. I shouldn't be surprised he did the same to you..."

Albert sighed, "After my... demise... the most I could do was place my sword in this ice, and await the next heroic person to come by. And you are that heroic person, Russell."

"You really think so... I almost died a bunch of times coming here... and I only made it to the Cave of Peace by pure luck... if that's all I got, then what can I do when I face Rudy again...?"

"But you still made it here despite all the obstacles in your way. You kept going even when you had chances to give up, or when the situation seemed impossible to overcome. That is what makes a great hero."

It took a bit for Russell to let that sink in. He realized that the spirit was right. Despite everything, he did overcome. He kept going even when the chips were down. And almost falling to his death led him to the Cave of Peace. In short, he did do it. And he proved Rudy wrong.

"You're right, Fat Spirit." He said, "I am a hero... but... I feel like I won't be a true hero... until I get this sword outta here."

Smiling, Albert moved aside so that Russell could walk up to the ice. He grabbed the handle of the sword and started to pull... to no avail. Despite his efforts, he could barely move the sword.

"Are you sure nobody has actually come here, but just couldn't move this thing?" He asked the spirit.

"You've got this, Russell. Just believe in yourself..."

Russell took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, focusing on the sword... and repeated quietly to himself, "I can do this... I can do this... I can do this..."

With one more pull, he felt the sword move, and before he knew it, the sword was free. The boy fell to the ground due to the heaviness of the sword, but that didn't last long, as the sword glowed yet again, and lifted Russell off the ground.

Albert watched with a chuckle as the little boy was engulfed in the glow. Once it died down, he lowered to the ground again... but in completely different attire. Russell was wearing a red soldier shirt with a golden slash, black pants, and dark red boots. He had silver gloves on his hands, outlined by gold. On his head was a golden helmet with a red feather.

"Hey, hey, hey! The Nutcracker is here to save the day!" Albert announced.

"Really...?" The small child looked at one of the reflections in the room, and smiled, "I guess I am." He raised the sword high in the air, despite the fact that it was still heavy, "So... what can this sword do besides fight?"

"It has plenty of powers, such as glowing and beams. But the one you need to know that'll come in handy is the teleportation power. It'll help you get to the Rat King's lair quickly in time to get to the princess."

Russell nodded, "And how do I use it?"

"Just hold your sword tightly and think about where you wanna go, and it'll take you there."

"Right... and, thank you, Fat Spirit. For a ghost, you'll a really big help."

Albert smiled softly, "It's what I do. Now go, Russell. The fate of the princess and the kingdom rests in your hands..."

"I know... and now it's time I avenge you! Rudy won't know what'll hit him."

With that, Russell closed his eyes and concentrated. There was another flash... and he was gone. Albert was satisfied and hoped that this young boy would indeed save the day.

"Good luck, soldier..."

**So we find out that Albert was the original Nutcracker, we find out his fate and get a little backstory on Rat King Rudy as well. Now Russell is the Nutcracker and is off to save Carla and defeat Rudy. Next chapter is the showdown. Who will come out on top? We'll find out soon enough. I hope you liked this chapter. I'll see you guys later. And as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you!**

**PS: The backstory for the Rat King is taken from the Disneyland stage show 'Mickey's Nutcracker'. I was debating on whether or not to use this backstory, but I decided that, since it's Rudy, who's a jerk but still has a heart, he could use a reason why he is a Rat King now.**


	9. Chapter 9: Round 3

**Hiya, folks! Here I am with another chapter of TLN! This is it! Now that he's the Nutcracker, we're gonna see Russell confront Rudy. Will he succeed this time? Only one way to find out. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's.**

Chapter 9: Round 3

In a flash, Russell found himself in a rather dark place. And not just because it was night time. What he was looking at was a castle... Rat King Rudy's lair no doubt. It's a good thing this sword had this power...

But how was he gonna get in?

Russell saw two rats guarding the entrance. They may have been dumb, but they weren't going to let him slip past them so easily. What they needed, he supposed, was another distraction like before? But what? He had no cheese on him this time.

The young soldier looked down at his sword again, and remembered one of the powers Albert told him about.

He smiled. Maybe that would come in handy.

With a plan set, Russell moved closer, hiding behind a tree before raising his sword high, "Glow!" He commanded. The sword did as told, glowing a bright light close enough to the rats, who were curious as they moved closer to the light, before shouting when it became to blinding. Russell took the chance to run past them while they were distracted.

"Ha... dummies..." He said to himself as he ran inside the castle.

Meanwhile...

"Aw... don't be so sad, my princess..." Rudy cooed tauntingly as he held Carla by the chin, "We both knew that shrimp never stood a chance against me."

Carla refused to make eye contact with him, her hatred for him only grew after what he just did. But, she knew she had no choice for what was to come. Soon, the rat king would take control of her home, and she had no choice but to marry him, especially to keep her father safe.

As for Rudy himself, he was savoring the moment, "And now that the brat's out of the way, I suppose we better get you home, to make the announcement of our engagement. The Winter Kingdom will soon be mine!"

"Not if I can help it!"

Both the villain and princess gasped when they heard that voice. They looked towards the door, and walking towards them... was...

"The... Nutcracker?" Rudy asked in shock and slight terror, "It... it can't be..."

Russell glared right back at him, "You better believe it, Rudy. It's me. Thought you got rid of me, didn't ya?"

It took a few seconds for Rudy to realize just who he was looking at, before growling, "_You_... how did you survive that fall?" He demanded.

"I just the Gods above were watching over me at that moment." The child lifted his sword and pointed it at the rat king, "But I'm back, new and improved too! So, unless you want your butt whooped by me, you'd better release the princess to her kingdom, and turn yourself in."

But King Rudy wasn't going to back down that easily as he grabbed his scepter, "Your threats mean nothing, shrimp. Just because you became the Nutcracker, it doesn't make you superior or anything. You'll still a wimpy little kid. And if you don't believe it, I guess I have to beat it into you!"

Suddenly, he lunged at the young soldier, swinging his scepter at him. Russell blocked the blow with his sword. He soon retaliated with a swing of his own, as Rudy blocked that too.

This resulted in a full on sword fight. Carla watched with excitement. Mostly because Russell was alive and well, and she knew that now that he was the Nutcracker, there was no possible way he's lose this time.

Russell tried everything he could in order to block every blow. It didn't help that the sword was so heavy, that he nearly missed, and almost suffered harsh blows. Rudy could sense that he was getting tired, and smirk, "You're wearing yourself out, kid. Why don't you give up?"

"You mean like you don't give up, even after becoming a Rat King?" Russell retorted, making the villain confused, "Yeah, I know. I know all about you. I know how you used to be an handsome arrogant prince who was cursed to become a Rat King, and then you killed the original Nutcracker."

Carla gasped in shock at that reveal, and Rudy only got angrier, "How do you know that...?" He demanded, lighting up his scepter, "You better tell me, or else I'll incinerate you."

"His spirit appeared to me in the Cave of Peace and told me everything." Russell explained, "And now that I know, once I defeat you, I'll make sure EVERYONE in the Winter Kingdom knows of your crimes."

The Rat King growled as he pointed his scepter at the young soldier, "You little sneak! I won't let you spill the beans. I'll kill you before that happens!"

Suddenly, he fired a huge blast at Russell, who in the moment, jumped up high and did a flip over King Rudy's head. He landed with grace in front of Carla, shielding her from danger.

"I hope I didn't get in over your head, Mr. School on Christmas." He smirked.

Rudy frowned, "Mr. School on Christmas?" He asked with confusion.

"No class..."

"THAT'S IT!"

Now completely infuriated, Rudy shot another beam at Russell, who honestly didn't see that one coming. In a panic, he held up his sword in front of him, and ending up not only blocking the blow... but also sending it back towards Rudy...

There was an explosion inside the room, and when the blast died down. Russell looked down the room. It definitely looked like it was destroyed... and Rudy was no where to be seen. All he could see, however, was a burned and dent crown on the floor...

Along with the scepter...

Is... he...?

Russell looked down at the sword, trembling at the realization.

"Russell... you did it! You defeated the Rat King." Carla cheered, "Finally, I don't have to marry him anymore."

"Yeah... Yeah, I guess I did..." He said, still looking at his sword. He then turned towards the princess and cut her bindings loose. After rubbing her wrists, Carla hugged the young soldier.

"I knew you'd do it, Russell. You saved me, and the Winter Kingdom. With King Rudy gone, we won't have to live in fear anymore..." She said.

Russell nodded, "Yeah, but... I _killed _him... I know he was a jerk and everything, but... I didn't mean to do _that_..."

The princess smiled softly, "I get it... but, you had to do what you could. And after that he killed the original Nutcracker... it's probably what he deserved... but... how about we get me home? I'm sure my Dad is worried sick."

The young soldier smiled a little, "Yeah. Hold on to me, I know how to get us there..." He then heard voices outside, and immediately recognized them at the rat minions, "... quick."

"Oh!" The princess said as she picked up Rudy's scepter, "Better take this with us."

With that, Carla held on to his hand, and Russell held up his sword, thinking of the Winter Kingdom. In a flash, they were gone...

Meanwhile...

The Winter Kingdom palace itself was busting with work, merriment, and worry. They were preparing for the Christmas Ball, but also worrying for the safety of their princess.

The most worried was the King himself, who sat upon his throne, surrounded by the guards, "Well...?" He asked.

Bill shook his head, "We still haven't heard from the young boy we sent out. We're planning on sending a search party for him and the princess."

"You think that North Philly native made it?" Bucky asked.

"Whatb ifb theb Ratb Kingb gotb himb?" Mush asked.

"And who knows what he's doing to the princess?" Harold wondered.

Bill sighed, "Don't think like that, soldiers. I have confidence in Russell that he will succeed. He's already proven that he can do this, despite not being here too long."

The king nodded, "I haven't met this boy... but I have confidence in him too. He might even be able to whip that old Rat King's behind while he's at it."

Suddenly, the doors to the throne room opened, revealing Carla and Russell, "Hi, Dad!" Carla greeted, rushing towards her father, who chuckled.

"Carla, my girl. You're back and you're safe." He said as he hugged his beloved daughter.

The guards all gasped in awe when they saw Russell. Bill especially was amazed as he walked towards the young soldier and bent to his level, "Well... what do you know?" He smiled, "The Nutcracker has returned."

"You look so cool." Harold said with excitement.

"And awesome!" Bucky added.

"Yeahb. Sob neabt." Mush agreed.

"I trust the journey went well?" Bill asked.

Russell chuckled, "Aw, it was nothing. I helped some squeaky sounding animals, got chased by rat minions, almost killed by Gingerbread people, almost eaten by an abominal snowman, and almost fell to my doom because of the Rat King... but I still made it to the Cave of Peace. So it was worth it."

"Speaking of killing. That's exactly the penalty Russell gave to King Rudy." Carla mentioned, holding up his scepter with a smirk, "And we have this to prove it."

That definitely shocked the king and soldiers as they looked back at Russell, "You mean... you did him in?" Bill asked for confirmation.

Being reminded of that made Russell frown, but he simply nodded, "Yep... he's gone... he won't bother you guys again."

There was a moment of silence... before the soldiers cheered, but to Russell's dismay. Why were they celebrating this? How could they be so happy about this? Just because Rudy was an evil jerk... it didn't mean he had to...

"This is definitely a momentous occasion. We never have to deal with that monster again!" Bill announced, "We should announce this at the opening of the ball!"

And so, everyone started to get ready. Russell was still in thought, which Bill noticed, "Are you okay, Nutcracker...?"

"Um... not really... I didn't mean to, but I really did kill Rudy..." He said sadly, "I was only trying to block his blast, and the sword... bounced it back right at him. I didn't that to happen! I know he was evil and causing you guys a lot of trouble, but..."

The captain put his hand on the young soldier's shoulder, "I understand, young one. Sometimes, we all do things we're not proud of. Things we don't mean to do. Why it happens? There's no easy answer. But don't beat yourself up over it. You were trying to defend yourself. If you hadn't, that blast would've killed you..."

"Yeah, but..."

"Look at it this way. You freed our kingdom from a dangerous threat. And... even some of the Nutcrackers from the past had to make fatal decisions before. You're not the first one..."

Russell tried to look at it from a different perspective, and thought, perhaps Bill was right. He did try to defend himself, and it just ended... brutally.

_Don't take it personally, Russell... _He thought to himself, _Besides, you'll be going home soon, so you won't have to worry about this anymore..._

"Russell!" Carla called, "Come to the balcony. There's a crowd forming outside. Ready to reveal yourself as the new Nutcracker?"

"Oh yeah... I'm coming."

The young soldier took a deep breath, before walking to join everyone. Everything was going to be fine. He saved the princess and the kingdom. And he was going home after this celebration.

Things were fine...

Right...?

**So, Russell and Rudy have a quick fight that has Rudy... gone. And Russell feels rather awful about it. Next chapter will be the celebration, and annoucement of Russell being the Nutcracker. Let's see what happens there for our little sassy friend. Will things go well, or will something else happen? Until then, I'll see you guys later. And don't forget to review, please. Thank you!**


	10. Chapter 10: Russell's True Potential

**Good day, my friends! I'm back with another fun chapter of TLN! It's the second to last chapter and the longest chapter in this story. This is where everything comes together. And there will definitely be surprises in store here. Anyways, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's.**

Chapter 10: Russell's Potential

Already, there was a huge crowd forming outside of the palace. The majority included the Toy Town citizens, the Gingerbread People, and members of the King's court.

Everyone was already anticipating the opening to the Christmas Ball, and they cheered once they saw the king, the princess, and guards... and a newcomer...

The king smiled as he stood proud in front of his subjects, "Good evening, everybody! It's about that time. Our annual Christmas Ball is about to commence, but first, we have an announcement."

Carla, dressed in a new stylish gown, smiled as she watched Russell look down at the people. The boy chuckled nervously as he waved.

"So such a long time... we have been without a Nutcracker. Now... he had returned! A young boy has taken up the mantle!" The king declared, "And not only has he saved my daughter, but he has also disposed of the wicked Rat King. Never again will that menace threaten us!"

The subjects cheered yet again, this time for Russell, even chanting, 'Cheers for the Nutcracker'.

_I've never gotten such a standing ovation before. _He thought,_ Well, better enjoy it while it lasts. I'll be going home soon anyways..._

That's when Bill stood forward to hold up the magic scepter, "And our brave hero has also come with the villain's scepter! As this is a momentous occasion, we shall store this in the treasury so that nobody can snatch it from us."

_And just as he says that something will come in and snatch it from him... _Russell thought jokingly.

Suddenly, something snuck up on everyone on the balcony. It was a blur, whatever it was, and it knocked the scepter out of Bill's hands. The magic stick when flying up in the air... before someone above everyone caught it. The crowd gasped in shock and horror once the person jumped and landed on the balcony.

The royal court, and Russell especially, were horrified at who it was as they stood with a smirk.

"Thanks for keeping my scepter safe..." King Rudy sneered, pointing his scepter at everyone, "I've missed it for a while..."

Carla gasped as Bill shielded her. Harold, Bucky, and Mush held out their candy canes. The king stood firm. As for Russell...

"You... you're not dead..." He realized, "Okay, on one hand, I'm glad that I didn't kill you, 'cause that would be really bad. But... how... how did you survive that blast?"

Rudy chuckled, "Well, I won't lie. You almost got me at that moment. Thankfully, I have fast reflexes, so I dodged the blast at the last second. However, it didn't come without a mild concussion. The force of the blast knocked me out for a bit. By the time I came to... you were gone. But now, I have you all right where I want you..."

With a snap of his fingers, his rat minions, led by Donald, all came in brandishing their nail swords, "Now... it's time I finally claim this kingdom for myself."

The king glared at the villain, "Rat King, this kingdom ain't never gonna be yours as long as I'm king."

Rudy glared right back as he pointed his scepter right in the man's face, "I know. That's why I propose a compromise. You let me marry your precious daughter, and abdicate the throne and your crown to me... and I won't burn you to smithereens."

"You think the King will give up that easily?" Bill asked as he stood forward, "If you know what's good for you, Rudy, you'd leave right now and stay away from him and the princess."

The rat almost spluttered with laughter, "Did you not just hear what I said? The king will be _destroyed _if he doesn't give up the throne. What's more important to him?"

"My sweet baby girl is important to me." The king said proudly.

Carla smiled softly, "Oh, Daddy..."

Rudy groaned, "Well if you value her life so much, you'd let me marry her, and step down as King!"

"You can do whatever you like to me, boy. But I refuse to let you put a hand on my daughter." The king was firm on his decision. Rudy just smirked as he prepared a blast.

"Suit yourself, your highness! Say bye-bye to Daddy, Carla!"

"NO!" Carla exclaimed.

Suddenly, Rudy felt his scepter pushed out of the way, causing the fiery beam to shoot off in a random direction. When the Rat King recovered, he growled when he saw that it was Russell who blocked his blow.

The young soldier stood bravely before the villain, "The King is not the one you want, King Rudy. It's me." He said, "As the Nutcracker, it's my duty to protect those from evil. And I will protect the king and princess from the likes of you." He said.

"You little shrimp." Rudy sneered, "What makes you think you have yet _another _chance of trying to stop me? You got lucky last time. This time... what I have in mind for you... you won't escape alive."

"You wanna bet?" Russell grinned, before he turned towards the guards, "Bill, protect the king and Carla. Get them to safety."

He then turned back towards Rudy, "If you want me... you'll have to catch me."

With that, he ran back inside the palace. Rudy gripped his scepter, "I'll be glad to, shrimp! And when I do, I'll make sure your demise will be much slower and more painful with time!" He chased after the soldier, "Rats! End them! Secure the princess!"

"Yes, your rottenness..." Donald nodded, before turning towards the others, "Let's get 'em..."

Bill stood firm as he held up his Candy Cane, "Bring it on!"

Meanwhile in the palace...

Russell ran as fast as he could to avoid Rudy. He was hoping to tire him out a bit, and when that happened, take him down again... without killing him this time. As for Rudy himself, he was seething with rage as he shot blast after blast at the little boy, who dodged each and every one.

"Why are you so determined to get the better of me?" Russell asked over his shoulder, "You barely know me..."

"Because you have caused more than enough trouble since coming here!" Rudy shouted back, firing another blast. Russell rounded a corner to avoid that blow, as he found himself charging up a flight of stairs. Rudy wasn't far behind him.

That's when the villain got another idea. He aimed his scepter, and fired a beam above Russell's head, hitting the wall in front of him. The blast caused the solider to stop in his tracks, but he got an idea himself as he disappeared in the smoke. By the time Rudy made up the stairs, the smoke had cleared, and there was a hole in the wall.

... And Russell was nowhere to be seen.

However, the rat king knew that he wasn't dead, "Where did that brat go...?" He asked himself, carefully looking around. It was silent... too silent. Rudy started up another flight of stairs, pointing his scepter in different directions in case the Nutcracker appeared out of nowhere.

"Come out, come out where you are..." He called.

"Heh, heh. Okay."

Rudy was caught off guard by that voice, which _sounded _like it came from the bottom of the stairs. While his back was turned, Russell appeared out of nowhere, used his sword to flip his cape over his head, and push him down the stairs. The kid chuckled, "See ya later, sucker!"

With that, he continued up the stairs. As for Rudy... he was officially pissed as he groaned in pain. At this point... he was through playing around. That shrimp... had to go...

Back with Russell, he found himself on another floor of the palace and standing out on another balcony. He looked down below to see the guards fighting the rats on the balcony below him, and even noticed the crowd fighting back against other rats that were at the entrance of the palace. The boy looked around until he could see Carla.

As for the princess, she stood on the balcony watching the fights. Her father had gone inside for safety and reinforcements, but she insisted to stay and help. She had a Candy Cane by her side in case she needed it. Carla happened to look up, and see Russell staring back at her.

"Where's the Rat King?" She asked.

"He's out of commission at the moment..." He shrugged, "But I have a feeling he'll come to and face me again. But I'll be ready..."

Carla smiled, before paling when she saw a shadow behind her friend, "I don't think you'll have to wait long. Look out!"

Russell was confused, before turning around to see Rudy raising his scepter above him. The young soldier quickly moved out of the way, nearly tripping in the process.

"I think it's high time we make this... personal..." The villain sneered, removing his cape, letting it drop to the floor "I haven't known you for that long, but I already wanna kill you..." He then removed his crown and tossed it aside, revealing his orange flat cap, "You've managed to get under my skin in one day... that's a new record. And now you'll get to see just how ruthless I can be when someone gets in my way..."

His scepter began to glow and morph until it now looked like a sword. Russell realized what this was going to lead to, as he held up his own sword.

"So let's settle this once and for all!" Rudy pointed his new sword at the kid.

"Right back at ya, chicken." Russell retorted.

"Chicken? Why did you call me chicken?"

"Cause you're all squawk and no talk."

"You little shrimp!"

With that, the swords clashed, leading back inside the building. When Carla saw them disappear, she gripped her candy cane and rushed inside, which Bill noticed, "Your highness! Where are you going?"

"Our Nutcracker needs my help!" She replied.

"But-"

"Don't worry... I'll be fine..."

Back with the hero and the villain.

Russell blocked every single blow that Rudy sent his way and vise versa. The fight moved all over the place. Down the hall, in some rooms, up and down the stairs, and even in the King's room. Rudy wasn't holding back anymore. He wouldn't stop until he sliced this brat up.

And Russell knew that.

"For someone who's only been the Nutcracker for a few hours, you sure know how to use that sword." Rudy couldn't help but compliment as he blocked a blow.

"I'm actually surprised myself! But I learned from the best." Russell responded, swinging his sword for a swipe. He then flipped backwards to dodge a stab attempt by Rudy.

"You mean that dead Fat Nutcracker actually showed you how to use that thing?" The villain asked, almost laughing.

"Well, he told me what it does. But it's good enough for me to know what to do! And like I said, once I take you down, I'll make sure everyone knows what you did to him."

Rudy shook his head, "What difference does it make if they know? They already see me as this monster anyways!"

"But they deserve to know the truth about their former hero."

But now, the two had reached a dead-end in the palace, as King Rudy had the Nutcracker cornered, "Nowhere to run now, brat..." He chuckled, "How about you make it easier for both of us, and take your death like a good boy."

"I don't think so!" The soldier frowned

That's when Russell made a hard swing with the sword. Big mistake. Due to the force and heaviness of it, he not only knocked himself to the floor, but also swung the sword right out of his own hands, in the air backward, and into the wall above him.

"No!"

"Oh yes!" Rudy smirked as he raised his sword again.

The lost of the sword caused Russell to glow, and he was back in his normal winter clothing, much to his horror. No longer was he the Nutcracker. And that delighted Rudy to no end, "Well now. No sword, no Nutcracker! This definitely makes things easier for me!"

With that, he thrusted his sword forward, but Russell quickly dodged it, causing said sword to be stabbed through the wall. This gave the small boy the chance to run past Rudy, and get to safety. What was he going to do without that sword? He couldn't fight Rudy now! Why was he so stupid to swing it that hard?

_Now, what do I do? _He thought_. The sword is out of use, I'm back to regular old Russell... maybe I can at least check on Carla..._

With that, Russell raced down a flight of stairs. At the same time, Rudy had freed his own sword, and started to go after him again, determined to not let him get away again. The Rat King chuckled as he sword glowed. Russell won't know what'll hit him this time.

As for the young boy, he ran down a hallway, calling for Carla. He hoped that she was okay. He stopped in front of a window to look out of it and saw the crowd still fighting against the rats. He wished he could help them. But without the sword... what could he do?

Russell continued to watch... unaware of someone sneaking up behind him.

The boy flinched when a hand was put on his shoulder. However, he sighed in relief when he saw who it was.

"I can as fast as I could." Carla said with a smile, "Are you okay?"

"No..." Russell admitted sadly, "I lost the Nutcracker's sword. It's stuck in a wall. And now I'm powerless... I dunno how I'm gonna fight King Rudy now..."

"I'm sure you'll figure out something. You have so far..."

The boy looked at the princess with a small smile. Perhaps she was right.

"But for now. Let's make sure everyone is safe and secure. I'll send the guards to find King Rudy..." She added.

"Oh, that won't be necessary..."

The two gasped as they turned to see Rudy right behind them. Before they could react, he brutally shoved Russell out of the window, shattering it in the process. Carla gasped in horror, "No!" She then glared at Rudy, "You monster!"

She tried to hit him with her cane, but he used his sword to knock her out.

As for Russell, he slid on the edge of a lower roof below the window. He managed to catch himself from falling off completely, but that didn't stop him from being too high up. It didn't help that he was lying at a downward slant. One wrong move and he could slide the rest of the way He made the mistake of looking behind him, before immediately regretting it.

All he could do now was looking back up at the broken window, only to see Rudy walk through it with a smirk, "Well, looky here... the small little shrimp became the Nutcracker for only a brief time... and now he's here about to fall to his doom... how sad..."

The villain menacingly approached the child, his sword pointed at his throat, "I suppose I should just push you off and let you fall, but that's too much mercy for the trouble you caused."

Suddenly, the blade of his sword became ablaze, making Russell pale at the sight of it.

"And once I'm through with you... nothing will stop me from achieving my goal. I'll do you in just like I did the previous Nutcracker! Being a rat won't be so bad anymore. The princess will be mine. The kingdom will be mine! And all will bow before me!"

With that, Rudy laughed evilly as he stared at the pitiful boy below him, "And you thought you stood a chance against me. But the truth it, you couldn't do this! At all!"

More mocking laughter. Russell frowned deeply, as he felt like the monster was right. He tried to do this... and he failed. And now, he was about to die because of it...

_Just because you __think you can't do this... doesn't mean you can't do it at all..._

He then thought back to what his brother... and later the captain of the guard told him. It wasn't the end. Not yet. He briefly felt his coat... and smiled.

"Any last words before I slash and burn you?" Rudy asked, eager to get on with it.

Russell closed his eyes, took a deep breath, before glaring at the villain, "You're right... I can't do this... not like this anyways. I may not be the Nutcracker anymore... but there are still things I can do without that title... and more as myself...like this!"

Before Rudy could react, Russell reached into his coat to pull out the candy cane that Bill had given him. He got up quickly to catch his balance, before using the hooked part of the cane to catch Rudy's leg, and pulled backward, tripping the Rat King up. The fall caused Rudy to fall and drop his sword. He slid to the very edge of the slant, only holding on for dear life.

Now the Rat King was dangling above the crowd.

"Uh oh..."

Russell smirked, "Rudy, you're like a school on Christmas Eve night..."

"School on Christmas Eve night?"

"No class!"

With a chuckle, he held out his cane towards a slipping Rudy, "Grab on to this, and I'll pull you up to safety."

"Why are you helping me?" Rudy asked with a frown, "After I tried to kill you."

"Because I'm a nice person... and despite everything you've done... you're still a person. And I'm not gonna let someone die over his mistakes..."

Rudy was surprised, but nevertheless, grabbed the candy cane, and Russell pulled him up, and back through the window, "That's... that's the first time someone's ever been nice to me..." He admitted, "Nobody's ever nice to me or offered me help..."

"Maybe because you're not nice to anybody else..." Russell figured, "Being nice is a good thing... you should try it..."

By now, Carla had recovered just in time to see the two together, "Russell... you're alright." She sighed in relief.

"Yeah. I did it. I defeated the Rat King." Russell informed her.

"But now... he's right there..." The princess was confused.

"With kindness..." Was all he said.

Rudy himself looked rather embarrassed. But Carla just shook her head, "Well then. I guess that's one way to stop a bad guy. Let's get back to the others and see if they're alright.

With that said, the three of them headed back to the main balcony, just to see the rat minions tied up and defeated. Bill smiled with satisfaction, before turning to see Russell, Carla, and Rudy, "You're both safe, and... Rudy!"

The guards held up their canes in defense, but Rudy held up his hands, "Relax... relax... I'm not gonna do anything..." He said, "In fact... I think my ways are done..."

"What?" Harold asked.

"The Rat King... not gonna kill anybody?" Bucky was shocked.

Rudy nodded with a small smile, "Yeah... I think for the first time in my life... I've experienced... true kindness. I was about to fall to my death... but this little shrimp here saved me. Nobody has ever been so... nice to me like that before. I think I finally see what being good is all about."

Bill was suspicious, but when he saw Russell smiling, he nodded, "Wow... who knew to kill with kindness was a thing."

"Hey, tis the season after all..." Russell shrugged, "And I did it all without the use of the Nutcracker's sword."

"I knew you could do it, young soldier..." Bill smiled, "You just had to believe in yourself and have confidence."

"I know..."

"S-S-So what h-happens to us?" Donald asked, referring to the rats in their king, "I-I guess w-we're going to jail, ain't we?"

Rudy sighed, "I suppose so, Donald. It's time for me to atone for my crimes. Of terrorizing the kingdom, it's people. Harassing the princess... and murdering the previous Nutcracker."

Everyone, with the exception of Russell and Carla, gasped at that revelation. Rudy just blushed in embarrassment and shame, "I know... I'm a jerk. I probably deserve the death penalty at this point."

That's when the King walked by, laughing, "Oh, we don't do that type of punishment. Not around here. I'll all for giving second chances. And I think we can find a suitable way to make up for your actions besides jail time..."

Rudy let out a breath of relief, "Well, that's good at least."

Everyone laughed a little. Russell smiled, before frowning a little, "I guess that's the end of that... but..."

"But what, Russell?" Carla asked.

"I know you guys are happy for me. Happy that there's a new Nutcracker. But... you know that I can't stay here... I gotta go home... and I still don't know how to get there..."

"Oh, Russell. That's why we were going to come to see my Dad. That is before King Rudy came."

"Right..."

Before anything else could happen, there was a glow, as through the door... came floating the Nutcracker's sword. It floated towards Russell and landed in his hands. He looked up at everyone... before setting his eyes on Rudy. That gave him an idea.

"Hey, has there ever been a case where a Nutcracker didn't die, passed the sword down to another?" He asked Bill.

"I don't think so..." Was the captain's response.

"Then I'll be the first to do so. I'm gonna pass the torch."

He then walked up to the Rat King and held out the sword for him, much to his shock, "Wait... you... want me... no!" He said with shock, "I couldn't possibly... I don't deserve it after the mess I've made."

"Maybe not... but maybe this could be your first step to redemption," Russell told him.

"Are you sure...?"

"I'm positive... so as the current Nutcracker, I hereby step down... and pass the sword on to Prince Rudy."

Prince...?

It has been such a long time since Rudy was referred to that title. Just hearing it made him smile. Slowly, he took the sword, and much like with Russell, it engulfed him in a bright glow and lifted him in the air. Once the glow died down, everyone gasped and looked in awe.

Rudy was no longer in his Rat King attire, and now doned a magenta-colored soldier suit with a golden sash, dark purple pants and boots, and an orange helmet with a dark pink feather. But the most surprising change was...

"Rudy... look at yourself," Carla said as she gave him a mirror.

He looked at himself and gasped. There were no longer black streaks under his eyes. He looked behind him and saw that his tail was no more as well, "The curse... it's... it's been broken!" He realized, "I'm a handsome prince again! Not only that but a soldier! What I've ALWAYS wanted!"

The royal soldier was completely happy.

"Hey, and l-look at us!" Donald called as he and the other henchmen were free, and also human, "We're not rats anymore too!"

Russell smiled with satisfaction, "And how about this suggestion? You guys can join forces with the royal guards, and become one big soldier team. With Bill and Rudy being both captains."

Bill looked conflicted, "You sure that'll work out? Without chances of clashing..."

Rudy smirked as he put his arm around the captain, "Aw, don't worry. I won't get in the way... most of the time. We'll make an interesting team."

"Right... I'll still keep an eye on you."

"Now that's what I call, a merry Christmas!" The King chuckled.

Rudy then looked at the child with a smile, "Thank you, Russell. Y'know... you're not so bad after all. And unlike me, you have class. And kindness, despite how sassy you can be."

"Aw..." The boy blushed, "I guess I have that spark within me. But I have some thanks to give as well." He then turned to Bill, "Thank you, captain. Thanks for giving me the confidence I needed to save everybody. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... you really remind me of my brother."

The captain smiled, "You're very welcome."

Russell turned to Rudy, "Thanks for not killing me, Rudy." He joked.

"Right... you're lucky for changing me." Rudy replied.

And finally... Carla, "Thanks for being so sweet, Princess. Thanks for believing in me. You never once gave up hope."

"Of course not..." The princess smiled, "I knew you could do it from the very start. We all did... and I'm really gonna miss you when you go..."

"I'm gonna miss you too." Russell replied, "Even you, Prince Rudy."

The king stood forward, "So you come from North Philly, right. I think I can set up a sled to send you there."

"That sounds great."

Carla then gave the little boy a hug, "Thank you for all you've done, Russell. I hope we can meet again..." Suddenly, she planted a kiss on his cheek. This made Russell blush deeply, smile widely, before he dropped to the floor, much to everyone's surprise.

"Russell... Russell... can you hear me... Russell?"

**Well, wasn't that something? We get a rematch between Russell and Rudy (who survived) and ended it with Rudy changing his ways thanks to Russell's kindness. The journey started with it, and now it ended with it. Now Russell's ready to go home. Next chapter is the last one, sadly. But we'll see how it all wraps up like a Christmas present. Until then, I'll see you guys later. And as always, don't forget to review, please. Thank you!**


	11. Chapter 11: His Special Gift

**Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas! It's time for the final chapter of TLN! We'll see just how Russell's adventure ends, and if he's able to do what he's been wanting to do for a while. ****Will he get to it? Let's find out!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's.**

Chapter 11: His Special Gift

"Russell... can you hear me... Russell... wake up."

Russell groaned as he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his brother looking at him with worry. But that worry soon turned to relief, "You're alive." He said.

Alive..?

The small boy sat up and looked around to see not only was he in the nurses' office on one of the beds, but also that he was surrounded by his brother, parents, and friends, which also included... Carla.

"Hey, hey, hey. He's okay." Albert said with a smile.

"Thank heavens.." He heard his mother say.

"I'm... I'm back. I'm back in North Philly." Russell realized.

This made the others confused, "But Rus, you never left." Bill told him.

"You've been out of it for quite some time, son." His father added.

"Even I was worried a little bit." Rudy spoke up.

Carla moved closer to Russell's side, "I'm so glad you're awake, Russell. And I wanna thank you for saving my life."

"Huh?"

"That's right. You saved me when that sandbag fell. You're a hero."

That's when Russell started to remember what had happened, "Oh yeah... but you guys, I went on the most bizarre yet amazing adventure. You see, I was in this-"

"You can tell us a little later, Rus. For now, why don't we let you rest a bit? Does your head still hurt?" Bill asked.

"No... because I had to chew on icicles to make the pain go away."

"Huh?"

After a few more hours, Russell was cleared to leave the nurses' office and was currently with the other older dudes backstage in the auditorium. He was currently telling them about his adventure.

"And after this Rat King stole the princess, the royal guards sent me on an adventure to become the Nutcracker to save her." He told them, "I encountered so much, like snow beasts, gingerbread people, and those dumb rat henchmen. I even discovered the original Nutcracker's ghost, who told me that the Rat King killed him a long time ago, and..."

As they listened to his story, Rudy whispered to Albert, "I think that bump to the head messed him up..."

"I'm sure he's fine. This is just his dream he's telling us..." Albert whispered back.

"After becoming the Nutcracker, and nearly getting killed several times, I defeated the Rat King, saved the princess and the kingdom. And that's when I finally got back here too." Russell concluded.

"You mean when you woke up?" Harold asked.

"Um, yeah..."

"That was a very interesting dream you had, Rus." Bill smiled.

Russell frowned, "It wasn't a dream. It was real. Very real."

"Dreams tend to feel like that."

"But... oh nevermind. You wanna know the most interesting thing? Almost everyone looked like you guys." He looked at his brother, "Bill, the captain of the guard looked just like you."

He then turned to Harold, Bucky, and Mush, "And you guys were his troops."

Then to Rudy, "The Rat King was definitely you..."

"Even in the shrimp's dreams, I'm the villain..." The rich boy muttered.

"And Dumb Donald was one of your henchmen. And Fat Albert... you were the Nutcracker ghost." Russell continued.

"Hey, hey, hey. That's okay." The large boy smiled.

"What about the princess?" Bucky asked, "Who did she look like?"

"She looked just like... Carla... Carla! My present! I completely forgot!"

With that, the small boy stood up and rushed to where he left his backpack. Sliding open the secret panel Carla showed him, he grabbed his bag, and dashed to wherever Carla may be. He ended up nearly running into her, "Oh hi, Russell. How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm doing fine..." Was his response, "And... I want to give you something... I know it's not Christmas yet... but..." Taking a deep breath, he reached into his bag to retrieve the box, "It's for you..."

The girl smiled as she took the box, opened it, and looked inside, before gasping, "Oh my gosh..." She said, pulling out the snow globe that Russell had made, "This is..."

"I know it's not very good... but... I made it." He said shyly.

"Are you kidding? This is so pretty!" Carla replied with a smile, shaking the globe to make the paper float everywhere, "I love it! Thank you so much!" She bent down to give Russell a kiss on the cheek.

That made the tiny child blush deeply, "You're welcome."

The rest of the boys were watching this moment with smiles. It seemed that Carla really liked the gift. Speaking of whom, she walked over to them to show them the globe, "Look at what Russell made for me. Isn't it pretty? I especially love the Nutcracker figurine with the ballerina."

Nutcracker figurine?

Russell was confused as he took another look at the snow globe. Sure enough, there was a nutcracker accompanying the ballerina. And strangely enough, it looked just like _him_.

That _was not _there before.

The rest of the gang looked and noticed as well. They definitely didn't see that when Russell showed them the globe the previous day, "That... I do not remember that being there." Russell admitted.

"Yeah... that wasn't there when he showed the globe to us," Bill added.

"But who could've put it there...?" Harold wondered.

"Maybe it's a Christmas miracle," Albert suggested.

Everyone thought for a moment, as Carla spoke, "Well... I still love it. You are so sweet, Russell."

"Thanks, Carla... I didn't think I'd be able to do it... but I did. A wise brother once told me 'Just because you _think _you can't do it, doesn't mean you can't do it _at all_'..."

Bill smiled to himself after hearing that, "And you're so right, Rus... say, I hear the cafeteria is serving treats right now. Why don't we all down and get a bite?"

"Hey, hey, hey. Let's go!" Albert replied.

With that, everyone started to head out. Russell took Carla's hand as they walked together. As they did, Russell looked over his shoulder and could've sworn he saw himself as the Nutcracker winking at him. But all he did was smile and wink back, happy that he was able to accomplish so much and so little time.

This was already the best Christmas yet...

THE END

**And that's it! The end! Russell wakes up from his adventure, tells everyone about what he encountered, and is able to give his gift to Carla. In the end, everything turned out okay. I hope you enjoyed this holiday tale! Thank you guys so much for reading. I hope you guys have a Merry Christmas, and I'll see you guys next year! And as always, don't forget to review it, please. Thank you!**


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